Lake County District Court news for Oct. 24, 2012
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Judge C.B. McNeil dealt with the following cases Wednesday, Oct. 17:
Valdena Curley, 36, Polson, had her February 2012 suspended sentence for criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony, revoked and was sentenced to the Department of Corrections for five years, none suspended. She will receive full credit for time served while in custody.
According to court documents, Curley violated her probation by failing to disclose her place of residence to her probation officer; failing to search for or secure employment; failing to report to her probation officer as ordered; refusing to submit to a urine drug test; possessing drug paraphernalia and pills without a prescription; and failing to comply with laws (Curley was arrested and charged with criminal contempt, a felony, obstructing a peace officer, a misdemeanor, and eluding a peace officer, a felony, on Aug. 11).
Shanley Thompson, 20, Bigfork, was sentenced to the Department of Corrections for five years, three suspended, for criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony. She will receive full credit for time served while in custody.
According to court documents, charges stem from a Feb. 3 incident where a Montana Highway Patrol Trooper made a traffic stop on U.S. Highway 93. Thompson, the passenger in the vehicle, appeared to attempt to conceal something beneath her seat as the vehicle pulled over. She was extremely nervous; her hands were shaking and her breathing rapid and shallow. The driver was taken into custody and told the officer that Thompson was an intravenous heroin user and that she had just recently used heroin, purchased heroin, and had heroin in her purse and in the vehicle. The officer found a silber spoon with heroin residue on it, a razor blade, a used syringe, a small baggie with heroin residue in it, a pink plastic container containing another baggie of heroin, several pieces of tin foil and cotton and a lighter. On Feb. 9, Thompson stated in an interview that everything in the purse was hers and that she had a heroin addiction.
Dakota McCarty, 21, Paradise, pleaded not guilty to failure to give notice of change of address by sexual or violent offender, a felony. An omnibus hearing was set for Wednesday, Dec. 12, and a jury trial set to begin Monday, March 18. Both begin at 9 a.m.
According to court documents, McCarty is required by law to register as a sex offender for a sexual assault conviction. McCarty allegedly changed his residence in July and failed to appear in person and give notification of the change to the the registration agency with whom he last registered, which is the Sanders County Sheriff’s Office.
Allen Matt, 64, St. Ignatius, pleaded not guilty to criminal mischief, a felony. An omnibus hearing was set for Wednesday, Dec. 12, and a jury trial set to begin Monday, March 4. Both begin at 9 a.m.
According to court documents, the charge stems from a May 2011 incident where Matt allegedly rammed his Ford Explorer into an automated gate on Ryce Hegwood’s property, causing a hinge to break and damage to the motor. Parts broken off of a vehicle at the gate scene corresponded with damage on Matt’s vehicle, and Matt admitted to an investigator that he drove his vehicle into the gate. The cost of repairing the gate is more than $1,500 for parts and labor.
Judge Deborah Kim Christopher dealt with the following cases Thursday, Oct. 18:
Desiree Peone, 28, St. Ignatius, was sentenced to the Department of Corrections for four years for criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony.
According to court documents, the charge stems from a December 2011 incident where Peone was involved in a traffic stop by Tribal Police. While Peone, the driver, was attempting to retrieve documents, an officer saw a marijuana pipe and a baggie of pills in the vehicle. Peone then told the officer there were several empty baggies of methamphetamine in her car. The officer also saw a sawed-off shotgun next to Peone, placed her in handcuffs and found on her person a pipe with suspected methamphetamine residue in it. As Peone was walking to the rear of the vehicle, a tobacco tin fell from her pant leg. She said the tin contained methamphetamine and consented to a search of her vehicle. The officer found a scale and several baggies all containing suspected methamphetamine residue, another small glass pipe and several pills.
Loren Hernandez, 22, Ronan, pleaded not guilty to assault with a weapon, a felony. An omnibus hearing was set for Thursday, Dec. 6, and a jury trial set to begin Monday, Feb. 11. Both begin at 9 a.m.
According to court documents, the charge stems from a Sept. 5 incident where Hernandez, while apparently intoxicated, allegedly threatened his stepfather with a combination brass knuckles/knife weapon. The stepfather called police from his bedroom, and while he was on the phone, Hernandez was kicking and stabbing the door.
The stepfather chased Hernandez out of the house with a stick, and officers found him a short distance from the residence wearing ony underwear.
Hernandez said he had been fighting with his stepfather over the way his stepfather treated Hernandez’ mother. He stated that he “flipped out” on his stepfather. Officers found a knife blade next to Hernandez’ discarded clothing.
Jeremiah Mitchell, 21, St. Ignatius, pleaded not guilty to criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony. An omnibus hearing was set for Thursday, Nov. 15, and a jury trial set to begin Tuesday, Jan. 22. Both begin at 9 a.m.
According to court documents, the charge stems from a March 3 incident where, during a traffic stop, a Montana Highway Patrol Trooper noticed a marijuana grinder in plain view inside Mitchell’s vehicle. The officer also found a syringe containing methamphetamine in Mitchell’s pocket.
Arthur Matt, 21, Polson, was sentenced to the Department of Corrections for five years, all suspended, for the amended offense of criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony.
According to court documents, charges stem from a May 1 incident where Matt’s vehicle was stopped in Polson and he was arrested for a probation violation.
After receiving permission to search Matt’s vehicle, the officer found a baggie of “mushrooms” believed to be a hallucinogenic, dangerous drug.
