Lake County District Court news for Dec. 31, 2009
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Judge C.B. McNeil dealt with the following cases on Wednesday, Dec. 23:
•Sean Deranleau, 30, of Polson, pleaded not guilty to felony driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, fourth or subsequent offense, and misdemeanor immediate notice of accidents.
An omnibus hearing is set for Wednesday, Jan. 27 at 9 a.m.
According to court records, the charges stem from a June 27 incident when a Montana Highway Patrol Trooper was dispatched to a one-vehicle crash on Montana Hwy. 354. Once on scene, the trooper found a red Dodge Stealth in the southbound lane, fully engulfed in flames. A Polson Police Officer, who was previously on scene, advised the trooper that two witnesses had seen a male with cuts on his head walk away from the crash.
Roadway marks indicated that the vehicle was traveling southbound, veered to the right and hit a bridge guardrail. The impact caused the car to rotate clockwise until it reached its resting place in the southbound lane. The vehicle belonged to Deranleau.
Later that morning, a resident on Kerr Dam Road reported that a male, later identified as Deranleau, had knocked on her door and requested help. She asked a deputy to come to her house. En route, the resident reported that the male had left and was walking down Kerr Dam Road.
The deputy located Deranleau and noticed that he was unsteady on his feet, soaking wet and was covered in blood. While speaking to Deranleau, the deputy noticed the smell of an alcoholic beverage on his breath.
When asked what happened, Deranleau said he drove a red Stealth and did not know where it was. He admitted to being involved in an accident, that he was the driver of the vehicle, that he had been drinking prior to the crash and that he had fled from the scene.
Deranleau was transported to St. Joseph Hospital and his blood sample indicated that his BAC was .10. Court records indicated that he had three prior DUI convictions.
Mitchell Hall, 24, of Kalispell, pleaded not guilty to theft and two counts of burglary, both felonies, and to misdemeanors theft and money laundering.
Hall remains in custody and an omnibus hearing is set for Wednesday, Jan. 6 at 9 a.m.
According to court records, the charges stem from an April 7 incident when dispatch received a burglary report on Skidoo Lane near Polson. An officer responded and observed a broken window and that the front door was open. Inside, closets and dressers were open and things were strewn on the floor.
The owners of the home identified that several things were missing to including firearms and a box of silverware, both worth more that $1,000.
Six days later, the owners identified nine of their missing firearms at the Jolly Pack Rat. The firearms were pawned by Hall and another person who stated to the employee of the pawn shop that they got the guns from Hall's grandfather who had passed away.
The silverware was found at a pawn shop in Kalispell, and was pawned by a female who was identified to be with the two men when they pawned the guns in Polson. The female was charged with felony theft by complaint and on May 14, had turned herself in and agreed to an interview with a Lake County Detective.
She stated that she drove the two males to the cabin and said they took some DVDs, video games and a large container of quarters worth about $90, and she admitted to pawning the items.
A few days later, she drove the two males back to the cabin and they took several guns, spotting scope, saw, and a box of silverware. She admitted to pawning the silverware, saw and scope and said the two males pawned the guns.
On April 22, dispatch received a burglary report of another home on Skidoo Lane, just two cabins down from the previous one. The officer that arrived on scene found a window with a cut screen. Inside, items identified from the first cabin were found in this one including food that was scattered about, partially consumed liquor bottles, ammunition, coins and homemade pottery.
Jeremy Cheyenne Irvine, 27, of Pablo, had his sentence revoked and was sentenced to the Department of Corrections for five years with no part suspended for felony DUI, and received a deferred sentence of three years for felony theft.
Irvine admitted to violating his parole by consuming alcohol on Oct. 13 and his BAC was .277.
According to court records, the charges stem from a Nov. 16, 2007 incident when a Sheriff's Deputy responded to a crash involving a stolen vehicle on Carbine Road. When he arrived on scene, he observed a Chevy pickup that had gone off the road and through a fence in a field. The owner of the vehicle confirmed that nobody had permission to drive it.
A Tribal Officer was on scene after the crash occurred and observed Irvine get out of the driver's side of the pickup and that he had poor balance. The officer noted that his speech was slurred. He was transported to St. Luke and a blood sample indicated his BAC was .41. He had three prior DUI convictions.
Cheyene Curtis Morton, 19, of Polson, pleaded guilty to felony burglary. Sentencing is set for Wednesday, Jan. 27 at 9 a.m.
According to court records, the charge stems from a Jan. 13 incident when a boy called 911 after he came home from school to find that the door to the garage was open, and a flat screen TV, Xbox and several games were missing.
Two days later, the boy received a tip from a friend at school that someone had bought a new TV from Cote Wheeler, but didn't know that it was stolen.
The next day, Cheyenne Morton returned the TV to the owners. In an interview with Morton, he told the detective that he drove to the residence with his older brother and admitted to taking the stolen items to an apartment. The Xbox and games were found in a search of the apartment.
Michael Madplume, 29, of Ronan, pleaded not guilty to felonies accountability - assault with a weapon, two counts of accountability - aggravated assault, accountability - robbery and aggravated burglary.
An omnibus hearing is set for Wednesday, Jan. 27 at 9 a.m.
Madplume remains at liberty on posted bond.
According to court records, the charges stem from a Nov. 7 incident when a call was made to Tribal Police to report a break-in to his neighbors' residence at Gardner Apartments in Ronan. The person said that whoever was breaking in had tried to break in to his own apartment before tackling his neighbors' apartment. He also said one or two of the people were carrying knives.
The neighbor, the person who had his home broken into, called dispatch from a Town Pump phone and said his girlfriend was still at his home and he was concerned about her safety.
