Lake County District Court news for Jan. 1, 2014
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Judge James A Manley dealt with the following cases on Wednesday, Dec. 18:
Tyler Fredrick Erickson, 20, Polson, pleaded not guilty to charges of criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony. Bail was set at $100,000.
An omnibus hearing was set for Wednesday, March 5, 2014. A jury trial was set for April 14, 2014.
According to court documents the charges stem from an Oct. 11 incident where Erickson’s mother called Polson Police for help during an altercation with him. Erickson woke his mother up at 3:30 a.m. and was demanding money or a rifle from her. Erickson’s mother did not give him money or the rifle because she believed he would pawn it for drug money. Erickson became upset and began throwing and breaking things.
An officer arrived and found Erickson trembling, breathing heavily, and bleeding from his hand, possibly from punching a hole in a wall. An officer spotted drug paraphernalia consistent with methamphetamine abuse inside the room of the house where Erickson had been staying. Erickson’s mother told officers that she believed her son was under the influence of methamphetamine and had only slept three hours in two days.
A search warrant was obtained and revealed that drug paraphernalia with residue that was consistent with methamphetamine. The residue was sent to the state crime lab.
Misty Hendrickson, 24, was sentenced to 10 years in the Department of Corrections, with eight years suspended. Hendrickson was also ordered to pay restitution.
Hendrickson accepted a plea agreement on Nov. 13 where she pleaded guilty to forgery, a felony, and criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony.
According to court documents, Hendrickson wrote checks that did not belong to her at several Lake County businesses between June 12 and Aug. 15. Hendrickson was arrested by Tribal police on Aug. 25 during a DUI stop where officers found drug paraphernalia in her car. Hendrickson admitted to using drugs. Two methadone pills were found in Hendrickson’s bra.
Lorena Ann Couture, 43, was sentenced to three years in the Department of Corrections with all except 30 days suspended, with credit for time served.
Couture pleaded guilty on Nov. 12 to charges of criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony. The charges resulted from a Nov. 12, 2012 incident were Tribal Police arrested Couture on an outstanding warrant. During a search, officers located a syringe, bent spoon, and straw cut on one end and melted closed on the other end. The state crime lab determined there was methamphetamine on the instruments.
Judge Deborah Kim Christopher dealt with the following cases on Wednesday, Dec. 19:
Joseph Allen Sleeping Bear, 24, of Missoula was sentenced to an intensive supervision program. Sleeping Bear pleaded guilty to criminal possession of dangerous drugs on June 13.
According to court documents, Sleeping Bear was found unresponsive in a vehicle on Oct. 28, 2012. Sleeping Bear was slumped over, drool coming from his chin, with a syringe in hand. A spoon was also found with Sleeping Bear.
Lake County Sheriff’s Deputies broke a window to get to Sleeping Bear. A search revealed a knife, pill bottle and a ziplock bag of methamphetamine in the car.
Roy Anthony Bundy, 57, of Polson, was sentenced to 13 months to the Department of Corrections for two separate offenses of driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, a felony. If Bundy completes alcohol treatment, the rest of the sentence will be served on probation. Bundy was also sentenced to 10 years in the Department of Corrections, with 10 years suspended for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, fourth or subsequent offense.
According to court documents, on Nov. 16 at 2:57 p.m., Bundy crossed the center line of Highway 93. An officer noticed a strong odor of alcohol emanating from Bundy during a traffic stop. A breath sample indicated Bundy’s blood alcohol concentration was .331. Bundy told officers he had a drinking problem and this was his fifth DUI.
Bundy was also arrested on Aug. 17 after a breath test during a traffic stop revealed his blood alcohol level was .214.
Carla Renee Goodwin, 31, of Corvallis, pleaded not guilty to charges of criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony; driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, a felony; driving while license is suspended or revoked, a misdemeanor; operating a motor vehicle without valid liability insurance, first offense, a misdemeanor; habitual traffic offender operating a motor vehicle, a misdemeanor; criminal possession of drug paraphernalia, a misdemeanor.
An omnibus hearing was set for January 30, 2014. A jury trial was set for March 10, 2014.
According to court documents, Goodwin was stopped on Dec. 12 in Lake County by a Montana Highway Patrol Trooper because of reports of an impaired driver swerving into oncoming traffic and almost causing a head-on collision. The trooper witnessed Goodwin change positions in the car with a male passenger. Goodwin admitted to switching seats with her passenger because she had been declared a habitual offender. Goodwin failed field sobriety tests and officers noticed a white, powdery substance on her nose. Her septum was significantly deteriorated.
In a search, a trooper found a broken glass marijuana pipe, a glass stimulant pipe with white residue, two plastic bags that contained a white, powdery residue, a razor blade and a green snort tube. A purple snort tube was inside a wallet with Goodwin’s identification.
Goodwin denied using methamphetamine, but said her driving ability was likely 10 percent impaired because of her cannabis consumption. Goodwin admitted all drug paraphernalia in the vehicle belonged to her.
In a search at the Lake County Jail, troopers searched Goodwin’s purse and found a BIC pen fashioned into a stimulant smoking device, a glass stimulant pipe, a black-handled tool with a white powdery substance on the tip, and a silver metal pill case containing 5 alprazolam tablets, 11 lorazepam tablets, 3 lorazepam pills, and 3.5 alprazolam pills.
Blood tests indicated the presence of tetrahydracannabinol, a psychoactive drug in marijuana; methamphetamine; and alprazolam in Goodwin’s system.
Goodwin is a designated habitual traffic offender with a revoked license. She was convicted of driving under the influence in 2009.
Jay Calvin Smith, 25, of Ronan, admitted in a plea agreement to committing the offense of criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony and criminal mischief, a misdemeanor. Sentencing was set for January 30 at 9 a.m.
According to court documents, Lake County Sheriff’s Office received a report that shots had been fired in the Project 30 area in Pablo on July 30. Smith was found in a vehicle matching a reported description with a female passenger and her young daughter.
Smith told officers that a shot had been fired from his vehicle, but it was fired by someone else. Smith told officers he threw several shell casings into the grass even though he didn’t fire the gun. The vehicle was impounded because officers thought it might contain evidence.
Smith was released from Lake County Jail at approximately 2:46 a.m. on July 31. At approximately, 3:30 a.m. someone tried to break into the complex where Smith’s building was impounded, just a few miles from the jail.
Sheriff’s deputies obtained a search warrant later that day for Smith’s vehicle. Officers found a small silver-colored container which had multiple plastic baggies in it. A small vial with a syringe duct-taped to it was also retrieved. Inside the syringe was a yellow-colored liquid the color of Mountain Dew. Officers suspected the liquid was methadone or urine used to cheat on a drug test. A pipe was also found that tested positive for methamphetamine.
Smith admitted to owning the methamphetamine pipe. He admitted to attempting to break into the garage and retrieve drugs from his impounded car. He told officers that there were three additional baggies of methamphetamine in a panel of the driver’s side door.
Rose Knott, 51, of St. Ignatius, pleaded not guilty to charges of theft, a common scheme, a felony. A jury trial was set for March 24, 2014 at 9 a.m. An omnibus hearing was set for Feb. 13, 2014 at 9 a.m.
According to court documents on Nov. 30, 2010, the Social Security administration received information that David and Rose Knott were fraudulently receiving Social Security benefits. The report indicated David Knott was concealing employment by using his son’s Social Security number and that Rose Knott was reporting that she lived alone, when David Knott lived with her.
A Social Security Agent interviewed Rose’s daughter, who indicated David Knott was working as a newspaper carrier for the Missoulian, but was using his son’s Social Security number to avoid reporting his income. The daughter also said the Knotts had been living together while filing separately for benefits.
In a separate interview on March 29, 2011, Rose Knott admitted she and David had been living together on and off. She told the investigator she was not aware her living situation affected her benefit eligibility.
On April 20, 2011, Rose Knott indicated she had not lived with David Knott since April 1, 2009 in a benefit adjustment interview.
Officers interviewed Rose Knott’s landlord because of the inconsistency in her statements. The landlord told investigators that although Rose Knott’s name was the only name on the lease, the couple both lived at the residence since 2010.
On May 2, 2011, Rose Knott admitted to a Social Security agent that she lied about her living arrangements. She told the investigator she and David had lived together since 2009 in St. Ignatius.
The Social Security Administration estimates excess payments in an amount greater than $1,500 were made to Rose Knott because of the misinformation.
Joshua Uriah Pierre, 36, of Ronan, pleaded guilty to two counts of assault on a peace officer or judicial officer, felonies, in a plea agreement. Pierre was ordered to report to the tribal detention center for the 24/7 Program after registering with the adult probation office.
Sentencing was set for Thursday, Jan. 30 at 9 a.m.
According to court documents, charges stem from an Oct. 31 incident where Pierre was asked to remove his clothes while being booked into tribal jail. Pierre removed his belt and then swung and struck a tribal officer. Pierre struck another officer in the face with his knee and caused minor bleeding.
Dillard Cody Miller, 67, had a suspended sentence revoked. Miller was sentenced to 10 years in the Montana State Prison, with credit for time served.
According to court documents, Miller was convicted of Driving Under the Influence, 4th offense, a felony, in 1996. He was sentenced for DUI again in 1998. Another drinking violation was documented in 2000, and in 2002 Miller was sentence for another felony DUI charge. He was sentenced to 20 years in the Montana State Prison, with 10 suspended. In 2006, Miller was granted parole, but it was revoked in 2008. Miller was paroled again in 2009. In a Sept. 21, 2011 intervention, Miller admitted to consuming alcohol on one occasion and driving under the influence of alcohol on another occasion. He was discharged from prison on May 20, 2012.
Miller admitted to a probation officer that he operated a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol between Nov. 2, 2013 and Nov. 7, 2013.
