Lake County District Court news for Feb. 18, 2015
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Judge James A. Manley dealt with the following cases on Feb.11:
Robert Joseph Parot, Jr., 37, Polson, was sentenced to the Department of Corrections for 13 months for felony DUI, fourth or subsequent offense. Parot must complete a treatment program. A consecutive, two-year suspended term for the Department of Corrections was also put in place, as were two six month jail sentences, with all but eight days suspended for misdemeanor driving without insurance and driving with a suspended license. The jail sentences run concurrently.
The conviction resulted from a Sept. 7, 2014 incident where a driver reported to Lake County Dispatch that she had been hit by another driver on Highway 93. She followed the vehicle and advised law enforcement where it was parked. The woman identified Parot as the perpetrator. The Polson Police Officer responding to the incident asked for Parot’s driver’s license. Parot told the officer he did not have a license and that he was uninsured. The officer noted slurred speech, the odor of alcohol, and glassy eyes in his interrogation of Parot. Parot failed field sobriety tests. A breath test indicated Parot had a blood alcohol concentration of .163.
James Wilson Allen, 39, Polson, pleaded not guilty to criminal possession of dangerous drugs and assault with a weapon. Charges resulted from the a July 6, 2013 incident where Allen was arrested for a probation violation. Officers searched and found a syringe with residue inside. The Montana Crime Lab determined the syringe contained methamphetamine. In a separate incident on Jan. 20, an off-duty tribal police officer had to dive to the ground after Allen shot at the officer during an attempted arrest. The officer called backup, and law enforcement found Allen hiding in a building with the pistol in his hand. He resisted arrest, tried to grab an officer’s gun and asked police, “You should have shot me … Why didn’t you just kill me?”
Allen admitted that he had encountered the off-duty officers, but denied firing the gun at him. Allen said he knew it was illegal for him to have a handgun because he was a felon.
An omnibus hearing was set for April 15 at 9 a.m. A jury trial was set for June 1.
Ann Louise Gieber, 40, Polson, pleaded not guilty to criminal possession of dangerous drugs, and use or possession of property subject to forfeiture, both felonies.
According to court documents, charges resulted after two undercover narcotics officers called for a taxi ride from a bar in Lake County. Gieber, operator of Annie’s Taxi, picked up the officers, drove them to a bar in Polson to pick up a third undercover officer, and asked to be dropped off at a bar in Ronan. During the trip the officers complained about having a hard time finding methamphetamine. One of the agents asked if Gieber could sell them methamphetamine. Gieber asked how much meth the officers wanted, took their numbers, and said she would get back to them.
Later the officers called for a ride back to Polson. Gieber made arrangements for the officers to procure meth and returned. Then the officers went outside, got into the taxi, and were driven around the block so Gieber could conduct the sale. Gieber told the officers she had a half-gram of methamphetamine that would cost $100. The officer gave Gieber $100 and she gave him a bag of a crystalline substance. The Montana State Crime Lab determined the substance was methamphetamine.
An omnibus hearing was set for April 15 at 9 a.m. A jury trial was set for June 1.
Judge Deborah Kim Christopher dealt with the following cases Feb. 12:
Jeanette Couture, 36, of Arlee was sentenced to the Department of Corrections for 13 months for felony driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, fourth or subsequent offense. If Couture completes a treatment program, the remainder of the sentence may be completed on probation. Couture was placed on probation for four years, with all time suspended. The probation sentence will run concurrently.
According to court documents charges resulted from a Jan. 14, 2014 incident where a Flathead Tribal Officer stopped Couture on Repass Trail. The officer knew Couture had just been at the Silver Dollar Bar. The officer noted slurred speech and the smell of alcohol on Couture’s breath. She said she had been drinking. Officers located an open Bud Lite beer inside the vehicle. She told officers “Take me to jail, f—- it, you already have me on DUI.” Couture refused to perform field sobriety tests because she said she was going to fail and be sent away because it was her fourth DUI.
Couture told officers, “Congratulations, you caught me on my fourth DUI.” A breath test indicated blood alcohol concentration for Couture was .214.
Jonathan Lewis Smith, 38, Pablo, pleaded not guilty to two counts of criminal possession of dangerous drugs, both felonies.
According to court documents, Smith was arrested in the parking lot of the Polson Post Office for public nuisance on July 21, 2013. A search of Smith’s bags revealed a small glass pipe commonly used to ingest methamphetamine that contained what appeared to be methamphetamine residue. The Montana State Crime Lab determined the residue was from methamphetamine.
Smith was also found to be in possession of a plastic tube suspected to contain methamphetamine when he was arrested on an outstanding warrant on Jan. 24. Lab results of that test are pending.
An omnibus hearing was set for March 26. A jury trial was set for May 11.
Patrick Wayne Hadley, 31, Ronan, pleaded not guilty to felony criminal possession of dangerous drugs.
According to court documents Hadley was stopped Jan. 18 for a traffic infraction, when a Montana Highway Patrolman noticed he was acting nervous. The trooper knew Hadley had been found in possession of drug paraphernalia in a previous traffic stop. A small smoke-colored plastic tube with white residue inside fell out of Hadley’s pocket during a search. A canine unit hit on the tube. Hadley admitted to previously using methamphetamine. The trooper also noticed sores on Hadley’s face consistent with meth use.
The tube was sent to the Montana State Crime Lab.
An omnibus hearing was set for March 26. A jury trial was set for May 11.
Garrett Edward Vaska, age and address unknown, pleaded not guilty to felony driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, fourth or subsequent offense.
According to court documents Vaska was stopped by a Polson police officer. The officer noticed Vaska had red eyes, and an alcoholic odor coming from the vehicle. Vaska refused to perform field sobriety tests. Vaska has an outstanding $50,000 warrant for another DUI. Breath tests found Vaska’s blood alcohol concentration to be .094.
Mary Hawk, 25, St. Ignatius, in a change of plea, admitted to committing the offense of felony possession of dangerous drugs and was found guilty. Sentencing was set for March 19.
According to court documents, Hawk was stopped by a Montana Highway Patrol Trooper on Dec. 16, 2014. She appeared nervous and admitted to having a methamphetamine syringe in her vehicle. The trooper recovered the syringe, a spoon, cotton swabs, and baggies with the corner torn off, presumably to bundle methamphetamine.
Trevor Ross, 24, Dixon, in a change of plea, admitted committing the offence of felony possession of dangerous drugs. Sentencing was set for March 19.
According to court documents, Ross was found in possession of a syringe and admitted methamphetamine use when he was arrested on outstanding warrants on Nov. 2, 2013. The Montana State Crime Lab confirmed methamphetamine was in the syringe.
Roger Pablo, Jr., 30, St. Ignatius, in a change of plea, admitted to committing the offense of criminal endangerment. He was found guilty and will be sentenced March 19.
According to court documents Pablo was stopped by Flathead Tribal Police on April 27, 2014 for careless driving. The officer noticed that Pablo appeared to be under the influence of drugs. Pablo admitted to smoking methamphetamine three days earlier. Marijuana was found in the vehicle, as was drug paraphernalia and a hydrocodone pill.
