Lake County District Court news for Dec. 2, 2015
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Judge James A. Manley dealt with the following cases Wednesday, Nov. 25:
Kyler Martin Runkel, 20, Polson, pleaded not guilty to criminal possession of dangerous drugs. An omnibus hearing is set for Dec. 9 and a jury trial is set to start Jan. 19, 2016.
According to court documents, on July 16 Runkel was found intoxicated inside a trailer he believed to be abandoned. Runkel had an outstanding warrant, and while being patted down for weapons, a Lake County deputy found a contact case that contained a broken methamphetamine pipe with meth residue inside. Runkel told the deputy the container was his and that he had used meth two days earlier.
Travis Dishman, 31, Polson, pleaded not guilty to partner or family member assault, a misdemeanor; felony burglary; two counts of aggravated burglary, both felonies; theft, a misdemeanor; four counts of criminal mischief, all misdemeanors; tampering with witnesses and informants, a felony; tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, a felony; and stalking, a misdemeanor.
An omnibus hearing is set for Feb. 3, 2016, and a jury trial is set to start March 14, 2016.
According to court documents, on Sept. 4 Dishman was a passenger in the car his girlfriend was driving along Highway 93 in Ravalli. As they were arguing, Dishman allegedly pulled the victim’s hair and grabbed her mouth, causing a 2-inch tear on her gum line and a similar tear on the upper part of her mouth. Then on Oct. 21, Dishman allegedly broke into the victim’s home by throwing a planter through the window and reaching in to unlock the door, although the victim had locked the front door to not allow Dishman in. He then started a fight with another male in the residence, who knew the victim had reported the assault to law enforcement. Dishman told the victim “you need to take care of this.” The victim believed he was referring to the assault charges against him.
The next morning the victim awoke to find that the tires on her vehicle had been slashed during the night. Dishman allegedly broke into her home after she left for work and took property from the victim without permission to enter or take the property.
On Oct. 23 the victim’s tires were again slashed.
Dishman came into the victim’s work on Oct. 31, and after he left she discovered her purse that contained her cell phone and house keys was missing. Throughout the next several days she learned her Facebook account had been blocked and some of her friends were getting text messages from her phone indicating that she and Dishman were back together again. The victim’s Facebook account is automatically accessible using her cell phone.
On Nov. 4, the victim awoke with Dishman leaning over her in her bed. Before she woke up, Dishman had allegedly taken a $20 bill and replaced it with a $1 bill, taken petrified wood, put bleach in her washing machine, put some substance in her self-tanning lotion, among other things. When he left, the victim watched Dishman slash one of her tires with an item that was in his possession while he was in the home. The item was capable of being used to cause a person serious body injury or death. On the same day Dishman allegedly wiped the Facebook conversations, messages and other items he had exchanged with the victim throughout the past year they were dating. The messages allegedly contained threats and evidence of Dishman’s crimes against the victim.
Michael Anthony Assiniboine, Jr., 28, St. Ignatius, in a change of plea admitted committing the offense of criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony. The court found him guilty and set sentencing for Jan. 13, 2016.
According to court documents, on Jan. 15 in St. Ignatius a Lake County Sheriff’s deputy found Assiniboine, Jr. passed out in his vehicle. Assiniboine ran but was arrested when he returned to his truck. The deputy had seen weapons and ammunition in the vehicle and Assiniboine told the officer he had eaten three 8-balls of methamphetamine. The deputy found 3.6 grams of meth in Assiniboine’s pocket.
Melissa Assiniboine, 31, St. Ignatius, in a change of plea admitted committing the offense of criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony. The court found her guilty and set sentencing for Jan. 20, 2016.
According to court documents, on July 28, 2014 Assiniboine was arrested and taken to Tribal Jail, where drug paraphernalia, including baggies with methamphetamine residue, were found on her person.
Benjamin Alvin Morris, 57, Polson, in a change of plea admitted committing the offense of negligent vehicular assault, a felony. The court found him guilty. Sentencing is set for Jan. 13, 2016.
According to court documents, on April 3 Morris was driving in the wrong lane in the Ninepipe area when he swerved and hit another car. The driver of that car had to be taken to a Missoula hospital where she had surgery on her spleen and could possibly need her foot amputated.
Frank Carl Hayes, 42, Kalispell, in a change of plea, pleaded guilty to an amended charge of criminal endangerment, a felony, and admitted to violating conditions of probation and parole.
Sentencing is set for Jan. 20, 2016.
According to court documents, while Hayes was incarcerated in Lake County Jail he participated in a June 3 assault on another inmate.
