Lake County District Court news for Sept. 5, 2012
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Judge C.B. McNeil dealt with the following cases Wednesday, Aug. 29:
Allan Kenmille, 46, Ronan, in a change of plea admitted committing an amended offense of partner or family member assault, second offense, a misdemeanor. The court found Kenmille guilty and sentenced him to one year in Lake County Jail, all suspended except 20 days. Kenmille also received credit for 23 days already served, which satisfies the jail requirement.
According to court documents, charges stem from an April 29 incident where Kenmille threatened the victim and swung a broom handle at the victim’s head while the victim held a child. Court reports show that Kenmille has two prior convictions for partner or family member assault.
James Snyder, 21, Ronan, in a change of plea admitted committing amended offenses of assault and criminal mischief, both misdemeanors. The court found Snyder guilty and sentenced him to Lake County Jail for six months for each charge, all suspended. He was also ordered to pay $100 restitution to the County Attorney’s office within three months.
According to court documents, charges stem from a Jan. 19 incident where Snyder allegedly unlawfully entered the home of Merlyn Snyder and knowingly assaulted Merlyn and his wife, Shawn Fields. Fields reported to a Lake County Sheriff’s Deputy that James, Merlyn’s brother, beat Merlyn up and then choked her while she was holding her child. Injuries to Merlyn and Fields were consistent with her story.
Ron Rorvik, 54, Ronan, in a change of plea admitted committing an amended offense of partner or family member assault, a misdemeanor. The court found Rorvik guilty and per the plea agreement dismissed a charge of possession of dangerous drugs. Rorvik was sentenced to six months in Lake County Jail, all suspended except for time served, which was credited. He is also ordered to pay a $250 fine.
According to court documents, charges stem from a June 26incident where Rorvik pushed his wife by the head, causing her to fall to the ground and injure her shoulder. The woman was diagnosed with a broken shoulder at St. Joseph’s Medical Center.
Billy Dee Washburn Jr. pleaded not guilty to driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, fourth or subsequent offense, a felony.
An omnibus hearing is set for Wednesday, Nov. 7, and a jury trial is set to begin Monday, Jan. 28, 2013. Both begin at 9 a.m.
The court also denied a request by Washburn’s attorney to lower bail from $15,000 to $5,000 with SCRAM, but the state objected and the court denied the request.
According to court documents, charges stem from an April 12 incident where Washburn’s vehicle was reported driving all over the road on U.S. Highway 93 near mile marker 30. A Lake County detention officer also observed Washburn’s SUV swerve and nearly collide head-on with a semi-truck. Washburn was pulled over, and field sobriety tests were administered. Although Washburn had difficulty balancing, standing and walking, a portable breath test came back negative for presence of alcohol. Washburn told the officer he had taken Ativan (lorazepam) and Xanax six hours prior. Washburn’s blood test revealed amounts of lorazepam, methamphetamine, amphetamine and carbamazepine, another central nervous system depressant. Side effects include dizziness, blurred vision, memory loss, drowsiness and unsteadiness.
Because records showed Washburn had at least three prior convictions for driving under the influence of alcohol and/or operating a motor vehicle with a BAC of .08 or greater, he was charged with driving under the influence, fourth or subsequent offense.
Patrick Runsabove, 30, Ronan, pleaded not guilty to partner/family member assault, third or subsequent offense, a felony.
An omnibus hearing is set for Wednesday, Nov. 7 and a jury trial is set to begin Monday, Jan. 28, 2013. Both begin at 9 a.m.
According to court documents, charges stem from a July 20 incident where police were contacted for a domestic assault. The victim told the officer that Runsabove had accused her of having an affair with a co-worker. She said Runsabove had choked her until she lost consciousness, punched her twice in the stomach and had tried to hit her with a barbell and a shoe. The victim was taken to a local hospital, where a doctor observed bruising on her chest, a contusion on her head and bruising on the upper left portion of her flank. The injuries appeared to have happened in the last 24 hours.
Runsabove has at least two prior convictions for domestic assault.
William F. Witts, 57, Polson, pleaded not guilty to theft, a felony. An omnibus hearing is set for Wednesday, Oct. 31 and a jury trial is set to begin Monday, Feb. 4, 2013. Both begin at 9 a.m.
According to court documents, charges stem from several incidences between January 2011 and June 2012 where Witts, as an employee of Safeway in Polson, allegedly used fuel reward codes at the Safeway gas station to skim cash from the store register from customers who bought gasoline.
Witts allegedly gave his daughter free gasoline, stole food and beverages, and took money from the cash register totaling $3,104.95 in all.
When the Safeway contacted Polson police department, Witts wrote out a full confession to his employer and agreed upon the above amount. He also confessed to the elements of the crime.
Judge Deborah Kim Christopher dealt with the following cases Thursday, Aug. 30:
Arthur R. Matt, 21, Polson, in a change of plea admitted committing an amended offense of criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony. The court found Matt guilty. Sentencing is set for Thursday, Oct. 4 at 9 a.m.
According to court documents, charges stem from a May 1 incident where Matt’s vehicle was stopped in Polson and he was arrested for a probation violation.
After receiving permission to search Matt’s vehicle, the officer found a baggie of “mushrooms” believed to be a hallucinogenic, dangerous drug.
Bethany A. Cajune (Caye), 28, Ronan, pleaded not guilty to criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony.
An omnibus hearing is set for Thursday, Oct. 25 and a jury trial is set to begin Monday, Dec. 10. Both are set for 9 a.m.
According to court documents, charges stem from a July 21 incident where a Lake County sheriff’s deputy initiated a traffic stop on Cajune. She gave him permission to search her car, and he found syringes, drug paraphernalia, several types of prescription drugs, cooking materials and equipment for injecting drugs, a methamphetamine pipe and snort tubes. One of the drugs, clonazepam, was identified as a dangerous drug.
Dawna M. Michel, 34, Ronan, pleaded not guilty to assault, a felony. An omnibus hearing is set for Thursday, Oct. 25 and a jury trial is set to begin Monday, Jan. 7, 2013. Both begin at 9 a.m.
According to court documents, charges stem from an Aug. 15 incident where Michel said the victim had reached into her purse while she was sitting in her van. Michel said she yelled for the victim to get out of her purse and then the victim jumped up onto the hood as Michel drove off.
However, the victim said she had filed a complaint against Michel’s brother, and knew there would be trouble when she saw Michel turn her van around and approach her as she and another person were walking down the street. Michel allegedly made a comment to the victim about ruining her brother’s life. Then Michel allegedly hit the victim from behind with the van. The victim said she held onto the van for a short distance to keep from going under the wheels. Her friend told police he saw the victim go down and thought she was killed. When an officer arrived, he observed fresh scrapes on the victim’s lower back and buttocks. The victim also complained of pain in her lower back.
Dylan Ivins, 20, Pablo, was sentenced to 30 days in Lake County jail for criminal possession of dangerous drugs. If Ivins successfully completes a 30-day inpatient chemical dependency treatment program, jail time will be waived.
According to court documents, charges stem from a March 7 incident where Ivins was found to have marijuana in his lap when his vehicle was stopped on Highway 93 in Pablo. Ivins admitted there was more marijuana in the vehicle, and gave officers permission to search. Inside the vehicle, officers found seven individually packaged baggies of marijuana, a digital scale, a box of baggies, a partially consumed bowl of marijuana, plus cash in varying denominations. Ivins admitted he got the marijuana from relative who held a medical marijuana card, and that Ivins planned to sell the drug to make money.
Brent M. Lemler, 23, Polson, had a deferred sentence revoked. Lemler was then sentenced to the Department of Corrections for five years, with three suspended, for attempt (burglary). Previous conditions of probation and parole were re-imposed.
According to court documents, charges stem from a June 2010 incident where Lemler tried to break into a basement that held a marijuana-growing operation.
