Lake County District Court news for Aug. 21, 2013
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Judge C.B. McNeil dealt with the following cases Wednesday, Aug. 14:
Roderick Benson, 41, Billings, for violating conditions of probation and parole had his suspended sentence revoked. Benson was sentenced to the Department of Corrections for five years for criminal possession with intent to sell, a felony. Court recommends Benson be considered for placement in an intensive chemical dependency program.
Kevin Gardner, 54, Bigfork, in a change of plea admitted driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, fourth or subsequent offense, a felony. The court found Gardner guilty. By Gardner’s request, sentencing is set for Oct. 30.
According to court documents, charges stem from an April 23 incident where Gardner was pulled over in a morning traffic stop and was found to be drunk. Garden was taken to the Lake County Jail, where he refused to provide a breath sample, then urinated in his jail cell, and faked a heart attack. Gardner had at least three prior DUI convictions.
Phyllis Fairbanks, 50, Ronan, in a change of plea admitted committing criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony. The court found her guilty and dismissed a second count. She was released because she had already served 30 days in jail.
Sentencing is set for Wednesday, Sept. 18.
According to court documents, charges stem from an October 2012 incident where the car Fairbanks was driving was reported stolen. When officers stopped her, they found Fairbanks to be under the influence of alcohol. Officers also found a bag of methamphetamine and half a Suboxone pill, for which Fairbanks did not have a prescription.
Judge Deborah Kim Christopher dealt with the following cases Thursday, Aug. 15:
Keith Edmonson, 52, Polson, was sentenced to Lake County Jail for six months with four months suspended for assault, a misdemeanor. Edmonson will receive credit for 10 days served, and must write a six-page report on the value of Skeet.
According to court documents, charges stem from a December 17, 2012 incident law enforcement was summoned to a hospital where the child had been admitted to the emergency room and a physician discovered signs of internal injuries to kidney and severe bruising on back, buttocks and legs. In an interview, Edmonson said he doesn’t tolerate lying or bedwetting, and had whipped his stepson with a 42-inch belt two days earlier.
On June 12, a jury found Edmonson guilty of assault.
Evan Quequesah, 19, Pablo, pleaded not guilty to partner or family member assault, third offense, a felony. An omnibus hearing is set for Thursday, Sept. 26 with a jury trial set to begin Tuesday, Nov. 12.
According to court documents, charges stem from a July 17 incident where a tribal officer responded to a report of a male beating up a female in Pablo. The reporting party said another man had punched Quequesah to try to stop Quequesah to stop beating the female, which was his Quequesah’s mother. Quequesah was found in the neighborhood where his mother lived, and he had a cut lip, admitted a man punched him, but Quequesah did not want to press charges. Officers spoke with the mother, who had bumps on her forehead, a mark on her nose and a swollen lower lip. She told officers that Quequesah punched her several times and she almost passed out, and that she is afraid of him when he gets like this.
Records showed that Quequesah had two prior convictions for domestic abuse in Tribal court.
Steven Morigeau, 31, Pablo, was sentenced to 20 days in the Lake County Jail for burglary, a felony. Morigeau must also pay $3,221.98 restitution. The rest of his sentence was deferred for three years.
According to court documents, charges stem from a Jan. 30 incident where Morigeau stole firearms, two compound bows and ammunition from a Polson storage facility.
Lawrance Stevens, 33, St. Ignatius, was sentenced to the Department of Corrections for 13 months, plus two years to DOC or the Montana State Prison, with all that time suspended, for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, a felony.
According to court documents, charges stem from a February 12 incident where Stevens was pulled over for driving all over Highway 93 in Pablo. A breath test showed Stevens’ blood alcohol content was .267 percent, and driving record showed three prior convictions.
Douglas Whitewater, 24, Pablo, was sentenced to 30 days in Lake County Jail for criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony.
According to court documents, charges stem from a Sept. 7, 2012 incident where a female delivered a baggie of methamphetamine to the Lake County Sheriff’s office, and said Whitewater had left it at her house. When law enforcement contacted Whitewater, he admitted he had a drug problem and wanted help.
Mary Reed, 45, Missoula, pleaded not guilty to two counts of criminal child endangerment, both felonies, and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, a misdemeanor.
An omnibus hearing is set for Thursday, Sept. 26 with a jury trial set to begin Tuesday, Nov. 12.
According to court documents, charges stem from a June 14 incident where several people reported a white Honda driving all over Highway 93, hitting a curb and nearly hitting a pole at Town Pump in Ronan. Reed was driving with her two sons in the back seat, and a breath sample taken at Lake County Detention Center revealed her BAC was .114 percent.
Angie Dobson, 38, Arlee, pleaded not guilty to assault with a weapon, a felony. An omnibus hearing is set for Thursday, Oct. 24 and a jury trial set to begin Monday, Dec. 9.
According to court documents, charges stem from a July 16 incident where Dobson allegedly entered her former boyfriends house without permission and dug through his clothing. When another female in the residence tried to call the male to tell him what Dobson was doing, Dobson allegedly hit the woman in the head with a glass vodka bottle.
Dakota Vanmeter-Burke, 19, Polson, pleaded not guilty to criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony. An omnibus hearing is set for Thursday, Oct. 24 with a jury trial set to begin Monday, Dec. 9.
According to court documents, charges stem from a June 20 incident where Vanmeter-Burke was arrested on a warrant and was found to have two Zolpidem pills on her. Zolpidem is the generic name for Ambien.
Aaron Yazzie, 20, Ronan, in a change of plea admitted committing criminal endangerment, a felony. The court found Yazzie guilty of the charge. Sentencing is set for Thursday, Sept. 19.
According to court documents, charges stem from a March 11 incident where officers responded to a report of shots fired, and discovered numerous bullet holes in a white Suburban and black Ford pickup truck parked in front of a house. Yazzie admitted to a deputy that he had fired shots at the vehicles, which belonged to the family of another passenger’s ex-boyfriend.
Wilbur Joe Usher, Jr., 39, Elmo, in a change of plea admitted committing criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony. The court found Usher guilty of the charge. Sentencing is set for Thursday, Sept. 26.
According to court documents, charges stem from a Sept. 27, 2012 incident where a Lake County deputy made a traffic stop on Usher, Jr., and an officer found two plastic bags in Usher’s car, one which contained methamphetamine and the other cocaine.
Bethany Caye, 29, Missoula, for violating conditions of probation and parole, had her deferred sentence revoked and was sentenced to the Department of Corrections for five years for forgery, a felony. The court recommended Caye be considered for in-patient treatment.
Bethany Redman, 37, Polson, for violating conditions of probation and parole had her suspended sentence revoked. Redman was sentenced to the Department of Corrections for 10 years with seven suspended for forgery, a felony. The court recommended Redman be considered for in-patient treatment.
Elizabeth Matt, 17, Charlo, in a change of plea admitted committing criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony. The court found Matt guilty. Sentencing is set for Thursday, Sept. 19.
According to court documents, charges stem from a March 25 incident where Matt was a passenger in a vehicle that was stopped because it had been reported stolen. Matt had in her possession two Ativan pills and a pipe with methamphetamine residue in it.
