Lake County District Court news for Mar. 15, 2017
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Judge James A. Manley sentenced the following people in Wednesday, March 8:
Matthew Stephen Day was sentenced to five years in the Department of Corrections with all suspended for criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony. The sentence will run consecutively to a five-year sentence that Day, 40, of Polson, received in a 2015 criminal possession case in Lake County. Another criminal possession case was dismissed as part of a plea agreement, and the county attorney’s office withdrew a claim to have Day designated a persistent felony offender. Manley said Day has a severe methamphetamine addiction.
Rueben Daniel Cutfinger, 52, of Pablo, had a two-year deferred sentence for criminal possession of dangerous drugs revoked and he was given a three-year sentence in the Department of Corrections with none suspended. Manley recommended Cutfinger be screened for alcohol and drug treatment. Deputy county attorney James Lapotka said Cutfinger was recently arrested for using methamphetamine in a hotel room.
Andrea Couture, 26, of Pablo, received a two-year deferred sentence for criminal possession of dangerous drugs. A second identical count was dismissed as part of a plea agreement. She was ordered to get a chemical dependency evaluation. Couture, who has no prior felonies, thanked Manley for the opportunity to get treatment.
Gary Ray Saxbury, 61, of Glasgow, was given a threeyear deferred sentence in the Department of Corrections for criminal endangerment as part of a plea agreement. The conviction followed an original arrest for a fourth or more DUI. Saxbury was arrested following a traffic stop in Polson and blew a .2 on a blood alcohol content test. Saxbury said he suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and was self-medicating with alcohol after having witnessed 10 or 12 fatalities while working as an engineer with Burlington Northern and BNSF railroads for 42 years. Saxbury said he successfully completed treatment at Rimrock Foundation in Billings. He thanked Manley for the opportunity.
