Lake County District Court news for Feb. 13, 2013
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Judge C.B. McNeil dealt with the following cases Wednesday, Feb. 6:
Steven Mikkelsen, 41, Ronan, was sentenced to the Department of Corrections for 13 months, plus five years suspended, for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, fourth or subsequent offense, a felony.
According to court documents, the charge stems from a December 2012 incident where Mikkelsen was stopped by a Ronan Police officer after driving through a stop sign. Mikkelsen did not immediately yield, but continued for several blocks before stopping in the middle of the traffic lane. As the officer pulled in behind Mikkelsen’s vehicle, he saw Mikkelsen jump into the back seat. The officer opened the door to talk to the driver, Mikkelsen, who was pretending to be asleep. Mikkelsen refused to identify himself or get out of the vehicle. His driving record shows at least four prior DUI convictions.
Judge Deborah Kim Christopher dealt with the following cases Thursday, Feb. 7:
Billy Dee Washburn Jr., 33, Ronan, was sentenced to the Department of Corrections for 13 months, followed by five years suspended, for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, fourth or subsequent offense, a felony.
According to court documents, charges stem from an April 2012 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.
Records showed Washburn had at least three prior DUI convictions.
Reba Ann Hawkins, 25, St. Ignatius, in a change of plea, admitted to criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony. She was found guilty, and sentencing was set for Thursday, March 28, at 9 a.m.
According to court documents, the charge stems from a July 2012 incident where a Montana Highway Patrol Trooper made a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Hawkins. In a search of Hawkins’ purse, an officer found a pill crusher with white powdery residue on it, a glass stimulant pipe, a vinyl case containing two small plastic baggies with what appeared to be methamphetamine, several insufflation tubes, a razor blade and multiple other baggies. Hawkins appeared to be under the influence of a stimulant, and admitted she had smoked a quarter of a gram of methamphetamine, snorted a 7.5-milligram pill of Lortab, drank one Bud Light and smoke three “hits” of marijuana in the previous six hours. A blood sample was sent to the state crime lab for analysis.
