Lake County District Court news for Oct. 21, 2015
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Judge James A. Manley dealt with the following cases Oct. 14:
Randall Joe Michel, Jr., 28, Ronan, was sentenced to the Department of Corrections for five years, none suspended, for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, fourth or subsequent offense, a felony. He was also committed to Lake County Jail for six months for an amended charge of assault, a misdemeanor, to run concurrent to a previous sentence and to be served after his DUI sentence.
According to court documents, Michel’s DUI charge stems from a November 2014 incident in Polson, and the assault charge occurred between inmates in Lake County Jail.
Robert James Mathewson, Jr., 33, Polson, was sentenced to Montana State Prison for 10 years each for an amended charge of felony criminal endangerment and bail jumping, to run consecutively for a total of 20 years with a parole restriction in the first 10 years. At the conclusion of his State Prison sentence, he will serve time in Lake County Jail for contempt charges. All other charges were dismissed.
According to court documents, Mathewson, Jr., was originally charged with aggravated assault, kidnapping, and two counts of sexual intercourse without consent for an incident that occurred in a trailer park. In October 2014, a jury could only reach a unanimous decision to find him guilty of felony assault, and because of the hung jury, the court reset trial dates for the three other charges.
Then on Jan. 15, Mathewson, per a plea agreement, pleaded no contest to two amended offenses of criminal endangerment and was released, with a note that another victim had come forward. Mathewson did not show up for sentencing on Feb. 19. He was then charged with felony bail jumping.
On Aug. 5 and again on Aug. 12, Mathewson was in district court for omnibus hearings when he walked out of the courtroom with court security holding onto his waist chain, although the court ordered him to return to the bench. All further hearings involving Mathewson were ordered to be conducted by Vision Net in a separate room with his attorney and security staff to prevent danger to others in the courtroom and facilitate orderly progress. Each offense carries a five-day sentence in LCJ.
Darcy Faye Faler, 34, Belgrade, had her sentence for criminal child endangerment deferred for six years.
According to court documents, on April 16 Faler was intoxicated when her car went down and embankment off Highway 83 with her four young children inside.
In a persistence memorandum submitted to court, the document states that Darcy understands the seriousness of the case and that her actions that day can never be repeated.
“She lives with the vivid horror and the shame that she put her children at risk and is extremely lucky that none of them were injured,” the report states. It goes on to explain the extreme struggles she has dealt with her whole life, including depression and anxiety and emancipation from “a fractured, alcoholic family” while in high school. She lived alone until her younger sister and brother sought refuge with her as well. She later was faced with her brother’s death, and sought help from a counselor for four years — who was then murdered.
Since the April 16 incident, the document states, Darcy has worked hard and shown impressive improvement through mental health and chemical dependency programs, so her counsel recommended the deferred sentence.
John Xavier Billedeaux, 38, Ronan, in a change of plea admitted committing criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony. The court found him guilty. Sentencing is set for Jan. 13, 2016.
According to court documents, Billedeaux was arrested June 10 on an outstanding warrant for another felony dangerous drug charge. Pills and methamphetamine were found on him when arrested.
