Lake County District Court news for Sept. 16, 2015
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Judge Deborah Kim Christopher dealt with the following cases Thursday, Sept. 3:
Lucy Tianna Parker, 23, Ronan, pleaded not guilty to criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony. An omnibus hearing is set for Oct. 29 and jury trial is set to start Dec. 7. She was released on the condition she gets a health services evaluation.
According to court documents, on April 2 in Ronan the vehicle Parker was driving was stopped because she had a broken tail lamp. Dispatch informed the police officer that Parker had a warrant for her arrest in tribal court and a suspended license. A syringe and a bag of methamphetamine were found on her.
Tammie Lee Fisher (Ortega), age and residence unavailable, pleaded not guilty to assault with a weapon and theft, both felonies.
In a separate case, Fisher (Ortega) also pleaded not guilty to criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony. For all charges, an omnibus hearing is set for Nov. 19 and a jury trial is set to begin Feb. 8, 2016.
According to court documents, on July 5 Fisher (Ortega) was stopped because the vehicle she was driving did not have a lit rear license plate. Because she had a warrant for her arrest for failing to appear in tribal court, she was arrested and taken to the tribal jail. During booking, a black bag containing several baggies, a straw and an Altoids tin with meth residue was found in her bra.
Then on Aug. 5 Fisher (Ortega) went to the house of a male victim in Arlee and allegedly used a hatchet to cut him on his cheek and the back of his neck. She then allegedly drove off in the male’s Jeep without his permission. A short time later, law enforcement found the vehicle on fire at the end of Arlee Pines. The Jeep was destroyed.
The value of the Jeep was in excess of $1,500, making the theft charge a felony.
Darrell D. Smith, 34, Polson, pleaded not guilty to two counts of felony burglary, one count of felony theft, and one count of misdemeanor theft. An omnibus hearing is set for Nov. 19 and a jury trial is set to start Feb. 8, 2016. Bail was set for $10,000 and Smith was ordered to have no contact with the victim.
According to court documents, on Aug. 24 a Rollins resident reported that numerous items had been stolen from the residence, including an Xbox, controllers, two laptops, a Ruger 10-22, a 40-inch television, credit cards and an old license. The owner said he had observed a white van in the neighborhood the night before, but didn’t think much of it because the neighbor’s house is often rented as a summer vacation home. The back door had been pried open.
While an officer was investigating, a caretaker for the neighbor’s home showed up and reported that his white van was stolen earlier that morning. He followed it while communicating with 911. Later in the day the van was located in Ronan and Smith was arrested. A variety of items were located in the van, including three laptop computers, a TV, a Sony Blu-Ray player, a Ruger 10-22 rifle, women’s clothing, and a pawn shop receipt for a TV and an Xbox.
Roland James Brown, 37, Ronan, in a change of plea admitted committing the offense of criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony. The court found him guilty and set sentencing for Oct. 29. A second charge was dismissed.
According to court records, on Dec. 23, 2014, a Lake County Deputy responded to a call of a kidnapping in the Arlee area. Two other law enforcement officers found Brown lying a field in the snow near the reporting party’s residence. Because he had an unrelated warrant for his arrest, he was taken to the Lake County Detention Center, where a small baggie of meth was found in his wallet.
Colby Ford Wolfenden, 28, Dayton, in a change of plea admitted committing the offense of criminal endangerment, a felony. The court found Wolfenden guilty and set sentencing for Oct. 29.
According to court documents, on May 8 Wolfenden was driving northbound on Highway 93 near Dayton when he drifted, over-corrected and rolled his vehicle. On a preliminary breath test he blew .161 and at the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, the Intoxilizer showed his blood alcohol concentration to be .130.
Wolfenden has three prior driving under the influence convictions.
Alex John Jungwirth, 31, Deer Lodge, in a change of plea admitted committing the offense of DUI, fourth or subsequent offense. The court found him guilty and set sentencing for Oct. 29.
According to court documents, on April 5 Jungwirth was driving 50 mph in a 25 mph zone on Highway 93 while intoxicated.
David Andrew Boucher, Jr., 50, Polson, admitted violating terms of probation and was sentenced to the Department of Corrections for two years for burglary.
Abdel Scott Russell, 34, Ronan, was sentenced to DOC for five years, none suspended, for criminal child endangerment. For a count of criminal endangerment, Russell was sentenced to DOC for five years, all suspended, to run consecutively.
According to court documents, on Oct. 27 at about 10:02 p.m. Russell was driving southbound in the northbound lanes of Highway 93 on Polson Hill with a 4-year-old female child unrestrained in his passenger front seat. A Lake County Deputy had to swerve onto the shoulder to avoid hitting Russell’s vehicle in a head-on collision.
Judge James A. Manley dealt with the following cases on Sept. 9:
Tyler Kihlstrom, pleaded not guilty to criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony. An omnibus hearing was set for Nov. 25 with a jury trial commencing Feb. 16, 2016 and a status conference on Dec. 30.
Court documents state that on May 17, Kihlstrom by stopped by Montana Highway Patrol Trooper and consented to the search of his vehicle. The trooper found two Crown Royal bags inside the vehicle’s center console area. One bag allegedly contained a glass methamphetamine pipe containing methamphetamine residue and other methamphetamine paraphernalia. The Montana State Crime Lab confirmed the pipe residue was methamphetamine.
Eldon Gene Runsthrough, 29, Polson, pleaded not guilty to theft, a felony, and theft, a misdemeanor. An omnibus hearing was scheduled for Nov. 25 with a jury trial commencing Feb. 16, 2016 and a status hearing on Dec. 30.
According to court records, on June 23, Runsthrough walked out of Walmart with a paint sprayer without paying for it and was detained by store employees. An officer responding to the incident allegedly found that Runsthrough had driven a stolen vehicle to the store. Runsthrough admitted he had gotten it from a friend, who had allegedly stolen the 2003 Chrysler van.
Ashley Rae Hewankorn, 28, Pablo, pleaded not guilty to four counts of burglary, all felonies, and to a charge of criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony.
An omnibus hearing was set for Nov.25 with a jury trial commencing Feb. 16, 2016 and a status conference on Dec. 30.
Court records indicate that on Sept. 7, 2013, officers acting on a tip found items from several local burglaries in Hewankorn’s car, which was parked at Pablo Foods. Hewankorn had allegedly fled out the back of the store. They found a checkbook and rifles that had been stolen from a local family.
Joshua Dane Cook, 32, Pablo, pleaded not guilty to criminal possession of dangerous drug, a felony. An omnibus hearing was scheduled for Oct. 21 with a jury trial commencing on Jan. 19, 2016. A status hearing was set for Dec. 9.
According to court records, Cook was arrested on Jan. 25 on outstanding warrants and searched. An officer located an Advil container that appeared to contain methamphetamine during the search.
LeighAnn Michel, 25, Ronan, received a three-year deferred sentence for the reduced charge of criminal endangerment, a felony.
According to court records, Michel was driving a vehicle that stopped at the intersection of Fourth Avenue W. and Pablo West Road and stayed there for a minute, even though a Highway Patrol Trooper observed the intersection to be clear. When the officer stopped the car, Michel allegedly had trouble finding the button to roll down the window. The trooper noticed with the odor of an alcoholic beverage when the window was opened.
Michel had bloodshot and watery eyes, slurred and incoherent speech, and had a hard time balancing when she was asked to step out of her car. She appeared highly intoxicated. Michel refused to provide a breath sample, but after a search warrant was granted and blood was collected at St. Luke’s, the Montana State Crime Lab results showed Michel had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.244.
Court records indicate Michel had a revoked driver’s license with three prior DUI charges and no insurance could be confirmed.
Ashley Mae McLeod, 26, Ronan, pleaded not guilty to possession of dangerous drugs, a felony. An omnibus hearing was set for Oct. 7 with a jury trial beginning on Dec. 14 and a status conference on Nov. 4.
Court records state on July 15, an officer made a traffic stop on a vehicle that’s headlights were pointing upwards. McLeod was a passenger in the car; and while talking to the driver and McLeod, the deputy noticed McLeod allegedly attempting to hide something in the glove box. Both occupants were acting extremely nervous and had been making furtive movements. The K-9 unit indicated the presence of drugs in the car, and McLeod allegedly admitted there was something inside the car and retrieved a crushed pill and several pills from the glove box. According to court records, the pills were identified as Acetaminophen and Hydrocodone, a dangerous drug.
Kenneth Rex Fairchild, 58, Ronan, pleaded not guilty to assault with a weapon, a felony. The Court set an omnibus hearing for Oct. 21 with a jury trial commencing on Jan. 19, 2016 and a status conference on Dec. 9.
Court records state that on July 24, Fairchild pointed a toy pistol at a man and told the man he was going to take care of both the man and his wife. Fairchild had at a prior time allegedly taken the orange cap off the toy gun and painted the barrel to make it look real. The victim believed the gun was real and that Fairchild was going to shoot both his wife and him.
