Lake County District Court news for Nov. 20, 2013
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Judge Deborah Kim Christopher dealt with the following cases Wednesday Nov. 13:
Samuel Sharp, 20, Pablo, pleaded not guilty to criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony. Sharp was released and ordered to be in contact with his Federal Probation Officer by Wednesday, Nov. 20, or a warrant will be issued for his arrest. An omnibus hearing is set for Thursday, Jan. 16 2014 and jury trial is set to begin Monday, February 24, 2014. Both begin at 9 a.m.
According to court documents, charges stem from a Jan. 6 incident where Sharp was stopped for speeding on Highway 212. After Sharp gave consent, officers searched the vehicle and found a pipe usually used to smoke methamphetamine. They also located three bags containing methamphetamine, and Sharp admitted they were his.
Rachel Katherine Burks, 34, Ronan, pleaded not guilty to assault with a deadly weapon, a felony. An omnibus hearing is set for Thursday, Jan. 16 2014 and jury trial is set to begin Monday, February 24, 2014. Both begin at 9 a.m.
According to court documents, charges stem from an Oct. 7 incident where Burks called Lake County dispatch and said her husband was being aggressive and would not leave the house. The dispatcher heard a male in the background saying, “put the gun down.” Burks told the dispatcher that she did not have a gun.
While en route to the home, a Lake County Sheriff’s deputy encountered Burks’ husband. He said he and his wife had been arguing earlier, so he had gone to bed. When he awoke at 9 p.m. and saw she had left the residence, he locked the door only to be awoken later by her banging on the door. He said he let her in and she appeared intoxicated.
According to court documents, Burks began arguing and pulled a Glock from the nightstand, put a round in the chamber, pointed it at her husband and told him to leave. Her husband came around to where she was standing and asked for the gun. She raised it toward him and told him she was going to kill him, then fired a round into the floor between his feet. After that, she made the call to dispatch. She told the deputy that the hole in the floor had been there already, but the deputy noted it appeared fresh with fresh splinters.
The husband was given a breath test that showed his blood alcohol concentration was .000. Burks refused to do a breath test. That day the weapon was not located, but it was found later in a dresser drawer in the children’s room.
Autumn Lea Cain, 39, Ronan, pleaded not guilty to attempt, a felony. Thursday, Jan. 16 2014 and jury trial is set to begin Monday, February 24, 2014. Both begin at 9 a.m.
According to court documents, charges stem from an Oct. 4 incident where a Ronan Police officer responded to a report of a disorderly female, Cain, at Second Chance Saloon. When he spoke to Cain, she was crying and told him she was not as drunk as he thought she was. He was told she was going to walk home. Later while patrolling he saw her walking on Cleveland Street. As he pulled up, she attempted to get in the car and he told her to stop. She then walked away but nearly fell into the highway. He got out and tried to help her, she struggled and so he handcuffed her for safety and his own and instructed her to sit on the curb and take a deep breath. When he put her in the backseat, she head-butted the window so he escorted her back to the curb. He asked her name and address multiple times so he could give her a ride to her residence, but she would not comply. Another deputy arrived but she was also uncooperative with him. She then attempted to strike the Ronan officer with her forehead, barely missing his head.
Joshua Uriah Pierre, 36, Ronan, pleaded not guilty to assault on a peace officer, a felony. Pierre’s attorney asked Pierre to be released with pretrial supervision through the tribe, but the court denied. A bail hearing is set for Thursday, Nov. 21, and omnibus hearing is set for Thursday, Dec. 19 and a jury trial is set to begin Monday, Feb. 10, 2014. All begin at 9 a.m.
According to court documents, charges stem from an Oct. 30 incident where Pierre was being booked into Tribal jail. As he was directed to remove his clothing, he swung his belt at a Tribal police officer and struck him in the arm. Another Tribal police officer assisted and was also struck in the face with Pierre’s knee, causing the officer’s mouth to bleed.
Russell Wentz, 48, Ronan, pleaded not guilty to burglary, a felony; attempt, a felony; sexual assault, a misdemeanor, partner or family assault, a misdemeanor, and criminal mischief, a misdemeanor.
An omnibus hearing is set for Thursday, Dec. 19 and a jury trial for Monday, Feb. 10, 2014. Both begin at 9 a.m.
According to court documents, charges stem from an Oct. 27 incident where Wentz’s ex-girlfriend reported that he broke into her house and raped her.
When Lake County Sheriff’s officers responded to the scene, she said she had lived with Wentz for four-to-five months, but had broken up. Wentz had been cited numerous times for assaulting her, the last three days prior when he stabbed her with a machete. He had been released from jail and told not to contact her.
On Oct. 27, she had been sleeping fully clothed in bed and woke up to find Wentz on top of her, telling her he was going to rape her.
She was able to fight him off because he was intoxicated. She tried to leave the residence but her car battery had been disabled. She tried to call but her phone was missing. She called dispatch from a neighbor’s house. Her neighbor then went looking for Wentz, who had returned to the ex-girlfriend’s home. Her phone was in his pocket, and the neighbor detained him until officers arrived. The ex-girlfriend told officers that she had stuck Wentz as hard she could in his upper body and stabbed him with a pair of needle-nosed pliers.
Wentz’s criminal records show that he was cited for partner/family assault in July of 1986, August of 2000, and July and October of this year.
Roy Anthony Bundy, 48, Polson, in a change of plea, found Bundy guilty of two counts of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, fourth or subsequent offense, both felonies. Sentencing is set for Thursday, Dec. 9 at 9 a.m.
According to court documents, charges stem from two separate incidences. On Aug. 17 at about 7:25 p.m., Bundy was stopped for making an illegal pass on Highway 93. The officer believed Bundy was under the influence of alcohol, and Bundy’s breath test registered .214 blood alcohol concentration. There was also a cold, open beer can in the car.
Then on Nov. 6, Bundy was stopped while driving on Highway 93 at about 2:57 p.m. for crossing the centerline. Bundy’s preliminary breath sample was .331. At the Lake County Jail, another breath sample an hour after his arrest read .293 blood alcohol concentration. Bundy told the officer this would be his fifth DUI and that he had a drinking problem. Bundy’s record showed three prior DUI convictions.
Marc Friscia, 24, Polson, came before the court to answer a petition to revoke suspended sentences of aggravated assault, parneter family assaul, both felonies, and endangering welfare of children, misdmeanor, All date bate to Dec. 2010.
Friscia denied allegations and an adjucdicatory hearing is set for Wenesday, Nov. 20 at 1:30 pm.
Judge James A. Manley dealt with the following cases Wednesday, Nov. 13:
Misty Hendrickson, 24, Arlee, pleaded guilty to forgery, a common scheme, a felony. The court found her guilty of forgery.
In a change of plea, Hendrickson then admitted committing criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony. The court found her guilty, and dismissed a third count, attempt (criminal distribution of dangerous drugs) provided she is sentenced for the first two. Sentencing is set for Wednesday, Dec. 18 at 9 a.m.
According to court documents, charges stem from August 2010 where Hendrickson was stopped for a DUI and methadone pills were discovered; a March 2012 incident where Hendrickson was caught providing Oxycodone to an man in jail; and July and August incidences where Hendrickson wrote checks on a closed account.
Dessilynn Elyse Brown, 25, Polson, pleaded not guilty to criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony. An omnibus hearing is set for Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2014 and a jury trial for Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2014. Both begin at 9 a.m.
According to court documents, charges stem from an Oct. 19 incident where Brown was arrested for a suspected burglary. She admitted to an officer that she was going through rough times, and was afraid her boyfriend would be mad at her for gambling and snorting methamphetamine that night. She allegedly attempted to break into a nail salon with a screwdriver “and then do her nails,” but she felt bad and stopped. She was arrested and syringes and a baggie with “meth” was found in her purse. She told the officer she bought the baggie of methamphetamine for $60.
Andrew White, 27, Ronan, pleaded not guilty to aggravated assault and intimidation, both felonies. An omnibus hearing is set for Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2014 and a jury trial for Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2014. Both begin at 9 a.m.
According to court documents, charges stem from an Oct. 20 incident where a Lake County Sheriff’s deputy responded to a report of domestic abuse in Ronan. The victim said she was asleep on the couch and her husband, White, had been drinking all evening. At some point, he woke her and began arguing. She picked up their 18-month-old child and went to a bedroom to try de-escalate the situaton. White told her he was going to town to get more beer. When she said she thought that was a bad idea, he held her down on the bed and began choking her. She was able to get off the bed, but then he threw her to the floor and began banging her head off the ground. The wife was screaming in pain but he kept on, telling her not to scream. When he stopped, left the residence and went to her sister’s home to call the police.
While speaking to the deputy, she told him he had strangled her to the point of unconsciousness before, but did not do so that evening.
She also said she has epileptic seizures and feared the assault would trigger a seizure.
When the deputy spoke to White, he said nothing had happened and was simply trying to calm her down. On the way to the jail, White changed his story, saying his wife was freaking out and screaming at him, and that he had to physically hold her down to tell her to stop screaming.
Ronnie Boyce pleaded not guilty to criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony. An omnibus hearing is set for Dec 18, and a jury trial for Feb. 3. Both begin at 9 a.m.
According to court documents, charges stem from a Sept. 22 incident where Lake County deputies responded to a possible suicide attempt in Charlo. Deputies found Boyce asleep or unconscious on her bed. The deputies called the paramedics, then one deputy found syringes and other pharmaceuticals that indicated they were packaged for hospital emergency room use, and not distributed through a pharmacy. The reporting party said Boyce was an employee at a local hospital.
It was determined through the hospital’s pharmacist that the drugs came from there.
Billie Louise Boushie, 28, was sentenced to the Department of Corrections for five years with none suspended for criminal child endangerment, a felony. For driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs, Boushie was also sentenced to DOC for five years, with all suspended. A third DUI count was dismissed per the plea agreement.
Dowdrea Nicolai, 23, Ronan, in a change of plea admitted committing the offense of criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony. The court found her guilty, and sentencing is set for Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2014, at 9 a.m.
According to court documents, on Jan. 29 Nicolai was being booked into tribal jail on an unrelated matter when tribal officers found two hydrocodone pills in the brim of her hat. She then failed to appear in Justice Court for her initial appearance Jan. 30.
Lorena Ann Couture, 43, Polson, in a change of plea admitted committing criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony. The court found her guilty and sentencing is set for Wednesday, Dec. 18 at 9 a.m.
According to court documents, charges stem from a November 2012 incident where Couture was arrested on an outstanding warrant. After obtaining consent to search, the officer found a syringe plus a bent spoon and cut straw in her purse. The crime lab determined there was methamphetamine inside the syringe.
Derrick Avery Shields, 51, Polson, in a change of plea admitted committing the offense of driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, fourth or subsequent offense. The court found Shields guilty and sentencing is set for Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2014 at 9 a.m.
According to court documents, charges stem from a July 16 incident where a Montana Highway Patrol trooper responded to a wreck on Sloan Road and Round Butte Road, where the driver, Shields, had missed the turn and driven through a barbed wire fence. He was taken to the hospital where a blood test revealed Shield’s blood alcohol concentration was .214 percent. Shields also told hospital staff that he had smoked marijuana and was taking hydrocodone. Shield’s driving record indicated that he had at least three prior DUI convictions.
