SANDPOINT - A Bonner County man accused of shooting another man during an alcohol-fueled dispute at Bloom Lake pleaded not guilty on Monday.

Michael Jesse Chisholm's plea sets the stage for a Nov. 16 trial in 1st District Court. Chisholm is charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and use of a firearm during the commission of a crime.

Chisholm, 66, faces up to 15 years on the felony battery charge. The firearm enhancement could add another 15 years of imprisonment.

Chisholm is accused of opening fire on a guest at his home on June 28. The man was shot in the back, but survived.

Chisholm's defense counsel, Deputy Public Defender Dan Taylor, said his client opened fire because he feared the alleged victim was going to shoot him first.

Chisholm was being held at the Bonner County Jail in lieu of $150,000 bail. He attempted to secure his release on a property bond, but Judge Barbara Buchanan declined the motion because Chisholm is in arrears on property taxes, which diminished the value of his Elmira property, court records show.

Taylor moved on Monday for his client to be released on his own recognizance, arguing that he was not a flight risk and has strong social ties to the area.

Chief Deputy Prosecutor Shane Greenbank argued against Chisholm's release because of the seriousness of the allegations and the fact that he has been living under an assumed name for years.

Chisholm admitted that his given name was Michael Allen Pederson, according to prior testimony in the case. Pederson was reported missing in California in the 1980s and was subsequently declared dead.

Buchanan declined to release Chisholm on his own recognizance, but reduced his bail to $100,000, court records show. Chisholm was still listed as an inmate at the jail on Tuesday.