Lake County District Court news for Sept. 21, 2016
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Judge James A. Manley sentenced the following people Wednesday, Sept. 7:
Meggan Rochelle Fisher, 30, Ronan, had her sentence for criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony, deferred for three years.
According to court documents, Fisher had a spoon with methamphetamine residue in her bag when the car in which she was a passenger was stopped by a Highway Patrol Trooper on March 7, 2015.
Thomas Joseph Spottedeagle, 33, Ronan, was sentenced to the Department of Corrections for three years, none suspended, on a lesser offense of criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony. Although the recommended sentence in the plea agreement was for three years, all suspended, Judge Manley rejected it. Spottedeagle was given the opportunity to withdraw his guilty plea and go to trial, but he chose to go ahead with the sentencing.
According to court documents, on Feb. 22 a Polson Police officer approached Spottedeagle’s vehicle, which was parked the wrong direction on Fourth Street West in Polson. The officer discovered 24. 2 grams of methamphetamine in the vehicle, and when it was later searched, numerous items of drug paraphernalia, scales, weights, a pistol and IDs for Spottedeagle and his passenger were also found inside the vehicle. Spottedeagle was on probation for another criminal possession of dangerous drugs conviction.
James J. McGuire, 33, Charlo, in a change of plea admitted to partner or family member assault, causing reasonable apprehension of bodily injury, a misdemeanor; and criminal mischief, a misdemeanor. Another count was dismissed. McGuire’s sentence for assault was deferred for one year. For criminal mischief, McGuire was sentenced to Lake County Jail for six months, all suspended except five days, and credited for two days already served.
As conditions of his sentence, McGuire must pay $967.99 in restitution and successfully complete a 40-hour men’s anger aggression management program.
According to court documents, on April 3 McGuire entered the home of his estranged wife and found her in bed with another person. He took a .45 semi automatic pistol, operated the slide, and allegedly threatened the two with the gun and verbally. While McGuire denied aiming the gun at the two people in bed, he admitted racking a round into the gun because, according to McGuire, nothing gets someone’s attention like the sound of a racking gun and he wanted to put the fear of God into the paramour.
Patty L. Walker, 57, Lakeside, in a change of plea admitted committing the offense of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, second offense, a misdemeanor. The court found her guilty, and dismissed a count of criminal possession of dangerous drugs.
Walker was sentenced to Lake County Jail for one year, all suspended except seven days and credit for one day served. The court agreed that Walker can serve her jail time on house arrest.
According to court documents, on April 17 a driver reported a car driving over the center line on Highway 93 south of Polson, stopping to let people go by, getting back on the highway and resuming to go back and forth on the road. A Lake County deputy witnessed similar behavior, when she stopped she blew a .193 on the intoxilizer.
Sarah Mae McClure, unknown age/residence, in a change of plea admitted to a lesser-included offense of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, first offense, a misdemeanor. She also admitted that one or more passengers under the age of 16 were in the vehicle. The court found her guilty and sentenced her to Lake County Jail for one year, all suspended, except 48 hours to be served within 11 months. McClure was also ordered to pay a $1,200 fine, plus court surcharges.
According to court documents, on March 16 McClure was driving through Pablo with her daughter in the car after she had smoked marijuana, which was confirmed through a blood sample tested by the Montana Crime Lab.
Judge Deborah Kim Christopher sentenced the following people Thursday, Sept. 15:
Mary Frances Rudd, 36, Ronan, had her sentence for criminal possession of dangerous drugs credited for a total of 99 days served in jail plus in a treatment program. She had two additional counts dismissed.
“If you fail, those two other charges can come back to haunt you,” Judge Christopher said, noting that her sentence was a departure from what the court would normally do in these circumstances with regard to Rudd’s extensive criminal history of 64 prior convictions, which are predominately misdemeanors, according to the State.
Judge Christopher rejected the plea agreement when Rudd appeared for sentencing Sept. 1, postponing the sentencing until Sept. 15. “At a minimum we better make a record why this is appropriate,” Judge Christopher said Sept. 1.
Letters in support of giving Rudd a deferred sentence were submitted by her probation officer and the Tribal Behavioral Health Program.
“It does sound like you’ve made significant efforts in this matter,” Christopher told Rudd on Thursday. “Given the efforts you have made, I am willing to give you the chance that you have pushed for in this matter ... Stay close to all of the support systems you’ve created for yourself. Otherwise, I can send you to Montana State Prison for five years.”
According to court documents, on Nov. 4, 2014, meth was found in a beaded pouch on her dresser during a probation search.
Devin A. Peasley, 26, Arlee, in change of plea admitted that on May 13 and 14, 2015, he knowingly obtained unauthorized control of an ATV and a motorcycle, with a value of less than $1,500 each.
The court found Peasley guilty of two counts of a lesser-included charge of theft, both misdemeanors. Peasley was sentenced to Lake County Jail for six months on each count, for a total 12 months, all suspended but four days for which he was credited for already serving. Peasley was ordered to pay restitution of $2,400, paid in full by Sept. 1, 2017 in $200 monthly payments.
“You need to make sure all of those payments are made within this time period,” Christopher warned Peasley, adding that if he does not make the payments he can be revoked and sent to jail to serve a one-year sentence.
