Lake County District Court news for April 9, 2014
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Judge James A. Manley dealt with the following cases Wednesday, April 2:
William Colman, 22, Charlo, was sentenced to the Department of Corrections for five years with two suspended. The court recommended that Colman be considered for long-term drug treatment and anger management programs. On March 19, Colman admitted committing violations of probation and parole, and his three-year deferred sentence for aggravated assault was revoked.
According to court documents, charges stem from an October 2012 incident where Colman attempted to choke the mother of their baby and threatened to shoot her car with his pistol.
Jeremy Smithson, 29, Ronan, was sentenced to Montana State Prison for 20 years with 15 suspended for burglary, a felony. For violating conditions of parole and probation, Smithson was sentenced to five years in MSP, with none suspended, for theft, a felony (reduced from burglary). The original sentence was six years, all suspended, with the stipulation Smithson enter the Teen Challenge Program in Spokane, Wash. However while there, he failed to report, used illegal drugs, and failed to complete the program, and his suspended sentence was revoked.
Robert Matt, 25, St. Ignatius, in a change of plea admitted committing the offense of fraudulently obtaining dangerous drugs, a felony. The court found Matt guilty.
Sentencing is set for May 7.
According to court documents, charges stem from an October 2013 incident where a pharmacist called Tribal police to report a possible forged prescription from Matt that appeared altered to include Lortab. The prescribing physician confirmed it had been altered, and the Lortab addition was not the doctor’s handwriting.
When the officer interviewed Matt, he first denied altering the prescription, but later admitted he was in a lot of pain and tried to get the Lortab so he could snort it.
Blake Castro, 28, Polson, in a change of plea admitted committing the offense of threats and other improper influence in official and political matters, a felony. The court found Castro guilty.
Sentencing is set for May 14.
According to court documents, charges stem from a Feb. 5 incident where someone reported that Castro was outside in only a pair of pants, flagging down traffic. She said he was behaving strangely and might have taken “shrooms.” When officers arrived, Castro would not get on the ground until the officers said Castro would be tased. Castro was handcuffed. As officers tried to get him into the patrol car, he kicked an officer in the face and shoulder.
Andrew White, 28, Ronan, in a change of plea admitted committing the offense of partner or family member assault, a misdemeanor, and intimidation, a felony. The court found White guilty.
According to court documents, charges stem from an Oct. 20 incident where a Lake County Sheriff’s deputy responded to a report of domestic abuse in Ronan. The victim said she was asleep on the couch and her husband, White, had been drinking all evening. At some point, he woke her and began arguing. She picked up their 18-month-old child and went to a bedroom to try de-escalate the situation. White told her he was going to town to get more beer. When she said she thought that was a bad idea, he held her down on the bed and began choking her. She was able to get off the bed, but then he threw her to the floor and began banging her head on the ground. The wife was screaming in pain but he kept on, telling her not to scream. When he stopped, she left the residence and went to her sister’s home to call the police.
While speaking to the deputy, she told him he had strangled her to the point of unconsciousness before, but did not do so that evening.
She also said she has epileptic seizures and feared the assault would trigger a seizure.
When the deputy spoke to White, he said nothing had happened and was simply trying to calm her down. On the way to the jail, White changed his story, saying his wife was freaking out and screaming at him, and that he had to physically hold her down to tell her to stop screaming.
Phyllis Fairbanks, 51, Ronan, admitted violating conditions of probation and parole and had her five-year suspended sentence for criminal possession of dangerous drugs revoked. She was sentenced to the Department of Corrections for five years with three suspended, and given credit for time served.
According to court documents, charges date back to October 2012 when Fairbanks was arrested for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and methamphetamine was found in the vehicle.
Judge Deborah Kim Christopher dealt with the following cases Thursday, April 3:
Raymond Matthew Adams, 25, Polson, had his suspended sentence for burglary and arson, both felonies, revoked. Adams was sentenced to the Department of Corrections for eight years with three suspended. Adams was credited for time served.
According to court documents, in July 2009, Adams, in a change of plea, admitted setting fire to a Ronan residence but not before stealing a Nintendo game, deer antler and a police scanner.
Mariah Dempsey, 32, Ronan, in a change of plea admitted committing the offense of theft, a felony. The court accepted the plea and found Dempsey guilty.
Sentencing is set for May 22.
According to court documents, charges stem from a Jan. 8 incident where a woman reported that Dempsey had made several unauthorized withdrawals from the victim’s bank account. The bank confirmed Dempsey was not an authorized signer, and had thwarted several attempts made by Dempsey to withdraw funds. However, Dempsey successfully withdrew money from the victim’s account on seven occasions, taking $6,150.
Dempsey admitted to officers that she had taken the money, but told them she was authorized to do so. One month later, Dempsey was arrested in Washington as part of a burglary investigation, and told that officer that she had stolen a “couple of thousand” dollars from the victim.
