Lake County District Court news for April 10, 2013
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Judge C.B. McNeil dealt with the following cases Wednesday, April 3:
William Robert Gopher, 18, St. Ignatius, pleaded not guilty to criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony. An omnibus hearing was set for Wednesday, June 12, with a jury trial set to begin Monday, Aug. 5. Both begin at 9 a.m.
According to court documents, the charge stems from a Feb. 14 incident where Gopher was stopped by a Montana Highway Patrol trooper on U.S. Highway 93. Gopher consented to a search of his vehicle, and the officer found 46.5 hydrocodone pills, along with a pill crusher and a prescription pill bottle for hydrocodone labeled as belonging to someone else.
Jon Byron Wrede, 41, St. Ignatius, pleaded not guilty to driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, a misdemeanor, and criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony. An omnibus hearing was set for Wednesday, May 29, and a jury trial set to begin Monday, Sept. 16. Both begin at 9 a.m.
According to court documents, the charges stem from a March 14 incident where a tribal officer noticed a Jeep parked in an area at Mission Dam where juveniles often go to drink and use drugs. As the officer approached the Jeep, it took off at a high rate of speed and became high-centered on a large rock. The officer approached the Jeep on foot and ordered the driver, Wrede, to shut off the vehicle, but Wrede continued spinning his tires in an attempt to get off the rock. He did not stop until the officer deployed his taser. Wrede appeared intoxicated, and a breath test showed he had a blood alcohol concentration of .018 percent. Officers found drug paraphernalia including a plastic vial with beige powder residue and a glass pipe with white powder residue. Analysis of Wrede’s blood showed methamphetamine and amphetamine in his system. The beige powder residue was buprenorphine, a Schedule 3 controlled substance, and the white powder was methamphetamine, a Schedule 2 controlled substance.
Edward Irvine, 55, Ronan, had sentencing deferred for three years for criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony, and was ordered to serve 20 days in the Lake County Jail within 120 days of sentencing.
According to court documents, the charge stems from a November 2012 incident where tribal officers made a traffic stop of a vehicle Irvine was driving on U.S. Highway 93. Irvine admitted he had recently used methamphetamine, and he had on his person baggies of both methamphetamine and marijuana.
Todd Burland, 45, Polson, was sentenced to the Department of Corrections for 20 years, 15 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 November 2012 incident where Burland allegedly fled from police who were trying to stop his vehicle after he ran several stop signs. Burland drove down U.S. Highway 93 from downtown Polson and turned abruptly into Boettcher Park, over a traffic barricade, over a large log and over the breakwater into Flathead Lake. Burland emerged from his vehicle and began swimming away. Officers told him to swim to shore but he refused, saying he wouldn’t go to prison for five to 20 years for driving drunk. Police finally pulled Burland onto a rescue boat and took him to jail. Burland’s driving record shows he has eight prior DUI convictions.
Jeremy Smithson, 28, Pablo, was sentenced to the Department of Corrections for six years, all suspended, for theft, a felony. He will received credit for time served while in custody.
According to court documents, the charge stems from a July 2012 incident where Smithson allegedly stole a truck from a residence in Polson, crashed it into a power pole and attempted to flee from police.
Kathy Jasso, 50, 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 Wednesday, May 8, at 9 a.m.
According to court documents, charges stem from a November 2012 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. On bottle contained 70 hydrocodone pills and one had 13 methadone pills, none of which belonged to Jasso.
William Colman, 21, St. Ignatius, in a change of plea, admitted to aggravated assault, a felony. He was found guilty, and sentencing was set for Wednesday, May 8, at 9 a.m.
According to court documents, the charge stems from an October 2012 incident where Colman had a disagreement with his girlfriend over who got to take a cigarette break while the other watched the couple’s 11-month-old child. The argument escalated and Colman allegedly choked the woman several times until she couldn’t breathe, at one point hitting her head on a truck while holding her by the throat.
Harold Irvine, 66, Elmo, in a change of plea, admitted driving under the influence of alcohol, fourth or subsequent offense, a felony. He was found guilty, and sentencing was set for Wednesday, May 8, at 9 a.m.
According to court documents, the charge stems from a December 2011 incident where Irvine was stopped for driving in the wrong lane of traffic. A breath sample showed Irvine’s blood alcohol concentration was .221 percent, and his driving record showed he had at least three prior DUI convictions and was on probation for a felony DUI conviction.
In a separate case, Irvine had his 2007 suspended sentence for a felony DUI revoked. Sentencing was set for May 8 at 9 a.m.
