Lake County District Court news for Apr. 18, 2012
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Judge C.B. McNeil dealt with the following cases Wednesday, April 11:
Shane Romero, 39, Polson, was sentenced to the Department of Corrections for three years, with all but 50 days suspended, for partner or family member assault, a felony.
According to court documents, charges stem from a December 2011 incident where officers responded to a report of domestic assault at an apartment in Polson. Romero was agitated and yelling at the other residents. The female victim, who had been in a relationship with
Romero for one and a half years, said she had been in bed when Romero started yelling at her and choked her with both hands; she escaped to the living room, where another resident said he saw Romero yell at her and choke her again. Romero became increasingly belligerent and threatened the officers. A records check showed he had one prior PFMA conviction in Montana and three prior convictions for domestic assault or battery in Idaho.
Eric Baszler, 29, Polson, was ordered to pay $27,359.34 in restitution to the Flathead Lake Brewery, and the court deferred imposition of sentence for six years.
According to court documents, charges stem from incidences between January and October 2011, Baszler wrote checks to himself from the business account of his employer, Flathead Lake Brewing Company. The checks totaled $23,994.24 and were not authorized by his employer. Baszler admitted to investigators that he wrote the checks to himself to pay his gambling losses, and that he was in counseling three times a week for his gambling addiction.
Judge Deborah Kim Christopher dealt with the following cases Thursday, April 12:
John C. Morrow, 42, Box Elder, had his 2006 suspended sentence for theft, a felony, revoked and was sentenced to the Department of Corrections for eight years, four suspended.
According to court documents, Morrow violated his probation and parole in August 2011 when he failed to call his parole officer in Oregon after he was supposed to return from a trip to Montana to visit family. His contact phone number in Montana was disconnected, and his whereabouts were unknown to his sister, with whom he was supposedly staying, and to his parole officer.
Jeremy Rice, 33, Polson, pleaded not guilty to two counts of threats and improper influence in official and political matters, both felonies, and three counts of assault with bodily fluid, misdemeanors. An omnibus hearing was set for Thursday, June 14, and a jury trial set to begin Monday, July 23. Both begin at 9 a.m.
According to court documents, charges stem from a March 31 incident where Polson Police responded to a disturbance at an apartment in Polson, where they found Rice, who appeared to be intoxicated. Rice repeatedly asked the officers to handcuff him and eventually became combative. He was arrested and on the way to the jail, slammed his head against the partition in the patrol car, cutting his forehead. Upon arrival at the jail, Rice spit blood on one officer's face, spit on two more officers and told two officers that he was going to shoot them when he was released from jail. Rice explained in detail that he had sniper training, that he knew where one of the officers lived and that he could shoot the officer in the chest before the officer even knew Rice was around.
Robert Lee Crawford, 47, Butte, pleaded not guilty to criminal possession with intent to distribute, a felony. An omnibus hearing was set for Thursday, May 24, and a jury trial set to begin Monday, July 9. Both begin at 9 a.m.
According to court documents, charges stem from a March 17 incident where Crawford was arrested for a probation violation in Pablo. The arresting officers found several containers of methamphetamine, a black case with more methamphetamine, a scale, a spoon, several small plastic bags, syringes, a .40 caliber pistol and a black case with the initials C.R. on it containing a plastic bag with white powder inside.
Marvin Gardipe, 59, Charlo, pleaded not guilty to driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, fourth or subsequent offense, a felony. Gardipe remains at liberty. An omnibus hearing was set for Thursday, June 14, and a jury trial set to begin Monday, July 23. Both begin at 9 a.m.
According to court documents, charges stem from a March 18 incident where an officer made a traffic stop on a vehicle Gardipe was driving. Gardipe appeared to be intoxicated and smelled of alcohol. He performed poorly on field sobriety tests, and a preliminary breath tests showed Gardipe's blood alcohol concentration was more than .219 percent. His driving record showed four previous DUI convictions.
