Lake County District Court news for Oct. 12, 2016
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Judge James A. Manley dealt with the following cases Wednesday, Oct. 5:
Jolanda Marie Brown, 27, Ronan, on a felony criminal possession of dangerous drugs conviction was sentenced to the Department of Corrections for three years with three suspended, and credited for 66 days served. For felony forgery, a common scheme, she was sentenced to the DOC for three years with three suspended, to run consecutive to the first sentence. She was also ordered to pay $4,600 in restitution, which is subject to the state filing an affidavit within 10 days if the amount differs. A third case was dismissed per the plea agreement.
“Since probation and parole agrees (with the sentence), I guess we ought to be hopeful,” Judge Manley said. “I have concerns whether Miss Brown will be able to follow through … good luck, Miss Brown.”
According to court documents, on Aug. 21, 2014, Brown was arrested in Polson on three outstanding warrants and a baggie of methamphetamine and several items of drug paraphernalia were found in her possession. Between Jan. 17 and July 2, 2014, Brown stole checks from multiple victims and cashed them herself or wrote them to others, who cashed them. None of the owners of the checks had written any of them, and an officer trained in handwriting analysis determined Brown had written the checks.
Felicite Rose McDonald, 33, Arlee, was sentenced to the DOC for three years, with none suspended, for felony criminal mischief. She was ordered to pay $4,583 in restitution. Her original recommended sentence was to be deferred for two years, but the court amended it due to the recognition that McDonald has severe drug problems and needs more chemical dependency treatment.
According to court documents, on Nov. 11, 2015, McDonald broke the windows on a neighbor’s vehicle and basement, and tried to set fire to an ATV. A charge of felony arson was dismissed.
Valerie L. Calfbossribs, 26, Browning, had her felony assault on a peace officer sentence deferred for three years. She was credited for 46 days served and ordered to pay $1,176.20 in restitution. The restitution covers injuries incurred to the hand of an officer who broke her window trying to get to her, and another whose hand she bit. The incident occurred Dec. 18, 2015, as Calfbossribs was spinning her vehicle on an icy road while accelerating at what appeared to be full throttle, according to court docs.
“That night she took some meth, which she doesn’t usually, and didn’t handle it well,” said her attorney Britt Cotter, noting that Calfbossribs is currently working on her bachelor’s degree and has no prior criminal record. Cotter said her conduct since that time speaks to her character.
Jonathan Snyder, 36, Polson, for felony criminal possession of dangerous drugs was sentenced to the DOC for three years, none suspended, and credited for 89 days served. Snyder is to be screened and considered for a treatment program.
“Your drug abuse disorder is rated as severe and you do need the treatment for any hope of successfully completing probation,” Judge Manley said. “Do you agree?” Snyder agreed.
“This is an opportunity for you hopefully to turn your life around,” Judge Manley said after sentencing.
According to court documents, items found in Snyder’s backpack on Nov. 30 in Polson had meth residue. The items were discovered after he was pulled over because the vehicle he was driving did not have a license plate light.
Mariah Suzette Antiste, 24, Big Arm, for felony theft was sentenced to the DOC for two years with two suspended, consecutive to another sentence she is serving. The amount of restitution was discussed because the victim claimed an 1860 King James Bible that Antiste stole had a value in excess of $16,000.
“My family has an old family Bible from Ireland that goes back to before 1776, but I don’t know what the value of that is,” Manley said. State attorney Ben Anciaux said although the stolen Bible is not as old as Manley’s family Bible, “It does have age. Typically (age) will add value to things.”
Ultimately she was ordered to pay $3,094 in restitution.
According to court documents, on March 9 Antiste stole a briefcase from a car parked outside a Ronan grocery store. A GPS unit and a Bible were in the briefcase. She also stole a purse from an employee at a Ronan dentist office.
Gregory Weatherwax, 19, St. Ignatius, in a change of plea admitted that on April 12 he trespassed into a gas station in St. Ignatius and assisted two others in taking property (beer, according to court documents) without consent.
The court found Weatherwax guilty of two misdemeanors: theft, and an amended charge of criminal trespassing. He was sentenced to Lake County Jail for six months on each charge to run consecutively for a total of one year, all suspended except for time served. He must pay restitution of $574 within one year. Two other co-defendants who were with Weatherwax that night have the same plea agreement and restitution amount.
“You know you’ve got to pay that, even if the others don’t,” Manley told Weatherwax.
Jonathan Paul Korman, unknown age, in a change of plea pleaded guilty to intimidation, a felony. Per the plea agreement the court dismissed two other felony counts of aggravated assault and robbery. Korman was sentenced to the Montana State Prison for one year with no chance of parole for the year.
According to court documents, in January Korman joined other inmates in Lake County Jail, hitting and harassing an inmate to get the inmate’s medications.
Alan Howlett, 38, Polson, for violating conditions of parole and probation, had the eight-year suspended portion of his felony criminal endangerment sentence revoked and reinstated. He was sentenced to the Department of Corrections for eight years.
Judge Deborah Kim Christopher sentenced the following person Thursday, Oct. 6:
Steven Lee Rodriquez, 46, Pablo, was sentenced to MSP for 10 years with all suspended, for felony criminal endangerment, “with serious concerns and huge reservations,” according to Judge Christopher. His sentence is given on conditions he follows through with all recommendations in the plea agreement and conditions of the judgment, including alcohol monitoring for the entire 10 years.
“Probation is not happy with us on this case at all. Their recommendation is the Department of Corrections for 10 years with five suspended,” Judge Christopher said. “A lot of that is based on … what they call ‘atrocious history.’”
Rodriquez has eight prior DUI convictions, according to court documents.
“As a result, you don’t want to come back. You need to make sure you get help,” Christopher said. “Probation is going to be watching you close, I suspect.”
According to court documents, on May 3, 2015 Rodriquez was pulled over at the intersection of Highway 93 and Highway 35 for crossing over the center line while driving. Rodriquez’s breath samples taken at the Lake County Detention Facility registered a blood alcohol concentration of .168.
