Lake County District Court news for Dec. 5, 2012
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Judge C.B. McNeil dealt with the following cases Wednesday, Nov. 28:
Kathy Jasso, 49, St. Ignatius, pleaded not guilty to three counts of criminal possession of dangerous drugs, all felonies. An omnibus hearing was set for Wednesday, Feb. 6, and a jury trial set to begin Monday, April 1. Both begin at 9 a.m.
According to court documents, charges stem from a Nov. 14 incident where Jasso was arrested on outstanding warrants and booked into the Lake County Jail. During a search, an officer found several small bags with apparent methamphetamine hidden inside Jasso’s clothing, as well as $875 in cash and several pill bottles in her bag. The pill bottles were not prescriptions belonging to Jasso, and many of the pills did not match the labels on the bottles. One bottle contained 70 hydrocodone pills and one had 13 methadone pills, none of which belonged to Jasso.
Judge Deborah Kim Christopher dealt with the following cases Thursday, Nov. 29:
Philip Friscia, 26, Polson, pleaded not guilty to criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony. An omnibus hearing was set for Thursday, Jan. 17, and a jury trial set to begin Monday, Feb. 25. Both begin at 9 a.m.
According to court documents, the charge stems from an Oct. 10 incident where Friscia was arrested on an outstanding warrant and taken to the Lake County Jail. In a search of Friscia, an officer found a small cellophane wrapper containing a substance that tested positive for methamphetamine.
Scott Harpine, 21, Polson, pleaded not guilty to burglary, a felony. An omnibus hearing was set for Thursday, Feb. 7, and a jury trial set to begin Monday, March 25. Both begin at 9 a.m.
According to court documents, the charge stems from a Nov. 9 incident where Harpine allegedly used a bowling pin to break out the glass front door at the Polson Subway restaurant, where he was employed, and took a cash box and cash from the register. A security video showed a man wearing a mask and carrying a bowling pin enter the store and remove the cash box and register box, and store employees recognized the man’s clothing as Harpine’s. In a search of Harpine’s residence, police found two bowling pins, clothing consistent with that shown in the video, a metal cash box and assorted drugs and paraphernalia. During an interview with investigators, Harpine admitted using a bowling pin to break into Subway.
Ronald Joe Martin, 49, Ronan, was sentenced to the Department of Corrections for 13 months for the amended offense of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, a felony.
According to court documents, charges stem from an April 21 incident where a tribal officer stopped a vehicle for erratic driving and swerving on U.S. Highway 93. Martin, the driver, appeared intoxicated, and his breath smelled of alcohol. Martin said he did not have a license, registration or insurance and that he had had “a lot” to drink. He became agitated and demanded that another tribal officer respond. He banged his head on the patrol car, kicked an officer, spit at officers and had to be restrained by several officers. Martin’s driving record showed four prior DUI convictions, and a breath sample provided at the Lake County Jail registered .204 percent blood alcohol concentration.
Edward Truman, 22, Polson, pleaded not guilty to two counts of criminal possession of dangerous drugs, both felonies. An omnibus hearing was set for Thursday, Dec. 13, and a jury trial set to begin Tuesday, Jan. 22. Both begin at 9 a.m.
According to court documents, charges stem from an April 19 incident where Flathead Police officers responded to a call at Truman’s residence that there were people trying to break into his pickup. Truman was in the bed of the truck, which was fitted with a fifth-wheel hitch under a small trap door in the pickup bed. Truman was looking into the trap door and told officers he thought the people were in there. The officers could clearly see there was nobody in, under or near the truck except Truman. They also noticed Truman was extremely excitable and couldn’t maintain focus on his conversation with the officers. Truman asked the officers to check his house and make sure no one was inside. In the house, the officers saw a tube with white residue that he recognized as paraphernalia used to snort powder drugs. There was also white powder residue on the counters and another snort tube next to a pill in an open drawer. Truman denied using narcotics but continued to say he could see people moving under his truck. The officers took Truman to the hospital for a medical check.
After obtaining a search warrant for Truman’s house, officers searched it and found a hydrocodone pill, several snort tubes with white powder residue, marijuana, marijuana pipes, and a canister containing methamphetamine. In an interview at the tribal jail, Truman admitted that he knew about the drugs and paraphernalia in his house. He admitted the marijuana was his but claimed the pills and powder drugs belonged to his aunt. A blood test showed cocaine, methamphetamine, opiates, oxycodone and methadone in Truman’s blood. He did say he might have ingested cocaine, methamphetamine and methadone when he was snorting Lortabs off the kitchen counter.
Daniel Hill, 44, Bigfork, had his Aug. 23 suspended sentence for criminal endangerment, a felony, revoked and was sentenced to Montana State Prison for four years.
According to court documents, Hill violated his probation by using alcohol on several occasions and tampering with a SCRAM alcohol-monitoring bracelet he was ordered to wear.
Zachary Starkel, 29, Polson, had his 2009 deferred sentence for criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony, revoked and was sentenced to the Department of Corrections for five years.
According to court documents, Starkel violated his probation by failing to report to his probation officer; using methamphetamine, marijuana, ecstasy and cocaine; and drinking alcohol and frequenting bars.
