Lake County District Court news for Mar. 11, 2015
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Judge James A. Manley dealt with the following cases Wednesday, March 4:
Joshua Lefthand, 39, Polson, appeared in court for sentencing after the court revoked his 11-year suspended sentence for DUI, fifth or subsequent offense, handed down in 2008. On Wednesday the court reinstated the 11-year suspended sentence, minus jail time served since arrest, and he was released. The court notes it hopes Lefthand proves to them that the court’s decision is not a mistake.
Stacey L. Hill, 39, Polson, pleaded not guilty to criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony. An omnibus hearing is set for April 29 and a jury trial is set to begin June 15.
According to court documents, on Jan. 30 Hill was pulled over by a Polson police officer. The officer found a pill bottle covered in black tape with methamphetamine inside. She allegedly admitted using methamphetamine the previous day, but denied that the meth found in the vehicle was hers.
Tana Marie Mindt, 52, Polson, pleaded not guilty to driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, fourth or subsequent offense, a felony. An omnibus hearing is set for April 29 and a jury trial is set to begin June 15.
According to court documents, Mindt was stopped around 11:40 p.m. Feb. 12 on Highway 93 because she was having difficulty staying inside only one lane of traffic. She was not wearing shoes, pants, or undergarments, and the Lake County Sheriff’s deputy saw an open alcoholic beverage inside the vehicle. Her vehicle appeared to have external damage consistent with a report of a hit and run earlier in the evening. She had difficulty performing sobriety test, and nodded off several times. She had told the officer she was on the pain killer OxyContin and sleep aid Ambien. She fell asleep at a local hospital as she was having blood drawn to determine her blood alcohol concentration. Her driving record showed three prior DUI convictions.
Jeffery Allen Hogan, 63, Polson, pleaded not guilty to partner or family member assault, a felony. An omnibus hearing is set for April 29 and a jury trial is set to begin June 15.
According to court documents, the victim called 911 in December 2014 to report that five days earlier Hogan had attacked her and resulted in her thumb being sliced open. The victim said Hogan had been threatening her since the incident and she did not feel safe around him.
Trevor Kole Butterfly, 22, Ronan, pleaded not guilty to assault on a peace or judicial officer, a felony. An omnibus hearing is set for April 29 and a jury trial is set to begin June 15. The court reduced the bond and released Butterfly with conditions that he obey all laws, quickly sign up for a tribal health evaluation and submit the results to his counsel and the state.
According to court documents, Butterfly assaulted a tribal detention officer within the tribal jail, and the officer ended up with a broken hand. A videotape confirmed the attack as the officer described it.
Mitchell Eugene Andrew, 57, Ronan, pleaded not guilty to incest, a felony. The court denied a request for release without bond and ordered Andrew to have no contact with the victim or witnesses should he post bond. An omnibus hearing is set for April 29 and a jury trial is set to begin June 15.
According to court documents, a teenaged boy reported that Andrew had forced him to watch child pornography and encouraged him to abuse other children. The victim said that for more than three years, Andrew had sexually abused him two to three times per week. While most of the alleged sex acts occurred in Lake County, some took place in Hot Springs.
Matthew Day, 38, Polson, in a change of plea admitted committing the offense of criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony. The court found Day guilty. Prosecution was deferred on two other charges. Sentencing is set for April 15.
According to court documents, Day was pulled over on a traffic stop and the Polson police officer found a bag that contained what appeared to be methamphetamine.
Wilbert Lee Michel, 25, Polson, admitted violating conditions of probation and parole and had his four-year suspended sentence for sexual intercourse without consent revoked. Michel was sentenced to the Department of Corrections for four years and credited for time service in boot camp and Lake County Jail.
According to court documents, in 2005 Michel was charged for sexually assaulting a person three years younger than he, who was less than 16 years old at the time.
Beth Ann Oldhorn, 30, Spokane, Washington, admitted violating conditions of probation and parole and had her 2010 six-year suspended sentence for criminal possession with intent to distribute revoked. Sentencing is set for March 18.
Judge Deborah Kim Christopher dealt with the following cases Thursday, March 5:
William Herbert Noel, 53, Polson, pleaded not guilty to criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony. An omnibus hearing is set for April 30 and a jury trial is set to begin June 8.
According to court documents, Noel was arrested in April 2014 on an outstanding warrant and a knife case was found that contained a used syringe containing methamphetamine.
Jonnell Patricia Wieder, in a change of plea admitted committing the amended offense of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, a misdemeanor, and criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony. The court found Wieder guilty. Sentencing was set for April 9.
According to court documents, on May 14, 2014, a Montana Highway Patrol trooper stopped Wieder for failing to pull over and give the right of way to emergency vehicles. The trooper smelled burned marijuana in the vehicle, and Wieder admitted she had smoked an hour prior to driving. Hydrocodone residue was also found on a dollar bill in the vehicle.
Garrett Edward Vaska, 37, Polson, in a change of plea admitted committing the offense of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, fourth or subsequent offense. The court found Vaska guilty, and sentencing is set for April 9. As part of the plea agreement, an April 2014 felony charge of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs was dismissed.
According to court documents, Vaska was stopped Feb. 4 about 12:06 a.m. while driving in Polson. Vaska appeared intoxicated, and his eyes were watery and red, although he denied having anything to drink. He refused field sobriety tests but did provide a breath sample indicating his BAC was .094. Vaska’s driving record showed three prior convictions for DUI, and he had a $50,000 warrant for his arrest on another outstanding felony DUI.
James Allen Dupuis, 34, Polson, admitted violating conditions of probation and parole, and his 2003 suspended sentences for felony theft and felony criminal endangerment were revoked. Sentencing is set for March 19.
