Lake County District Court news for Feb. 12, 2014
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Judge James A. Manley dealt with the following cases on Wednesday, Jan. 29:
George Stevens Coffey, 65, Dixon, was sentenced to the Department of Corrections for five years with one suspended for criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony. He’ll receive credit for 57 days served.
According to court documents, charges stem from an incident on April 4, 2013. In a routine traffic stop, an officer pulled over a vehicle in which Coffey was a passenger. Coffey had a warrant for his arrest on an unrelated matter and was arrested on that outstanding warrant.
During the course of the arrest, the officer performed a search and located a baggie containing a white crystalline substance which, based on his training and experiences, appeared to be methamphetamine.
Paul Matteucci, 49, Kalispell, pleaded not guilty to theft, a felony.
An omnibus hearing was set for March 26 with a jury trial commencing on May 5.
Natasha Blixt, 21, Pablo, admitted criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony. The Court made its findings and found Blixt guilty of the charge. Sentencing was set for March 5.
According to court documents, charges stem from an Oct. 16, 2013 incident when a deputy sheriff investigated a possible theft.
The victim answered her door, and Blixt said she had run out of gas and asked to use the phone and the bathroom. The victim complied and then gave Blixt a ride back to her car. When the victim returned home, she found her prescription for hydrocodone missing from the bathroom.
The deputy saw an individual matching Blixt’s description walking, stopped and asked her what was going on. The deputy recognized Blixt from a prior contact.
Blixt admitted using the bathroom but said she had not taken anything. When the deputy asked where the pills were, Blixt allegedly replied by asking if the deputy would let her go if she gave him the pills, according to court records.
At Lake County Jail during booking, a female officer found 17 hydrocodone tablets in Blixt’s possession.
Carla Johnson Wigton, 51, Polson, admitted driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, fourth or subsequent offense, a felony, and criminal endangerment, a felony. The Court made its findings and found Wigton guilty of the charge.
Sentencing was set for March 5.
According to court documents, charges stem from an incident on Nov. 4, 2013 at approximately 3:44 p.m. Wigton ran a red light at the intersection of U.S. Highway 93 and State Highway 35 and crashed into a vehicle lawfully turning left on Hwy. 35.
The officer investigating said he could smell the odor of alcoholic beverages on Wigton’s breath and her speech was slow and slurred.
At the Lake County Jail, she provided an Intoxilyzer 8000 breath sample indicating her blood alcohol concentration was .159. Records showed Wigton had five prior DUI convictions for driving under the influence of alcohol.
Gregg Dennis Webster, 48, Polson, admitted committing the amended offenses of criminal endangerment, a felony, and driving without a valid license, a misdemeanor. The Court made its findings and found Webster guilty of the charges.
Webster’s attorney asked that Webster be released from wearing a SCRAM bracelet since he recently has been diagnosed with diabetes. Webster has worn the bracelet since June 11, 2013. The Court released Webster from the condition of wearing the Scram. Sentencing was set for March 5.
Judge Deborah Kim Christopher dealt with the following cases on Thursday, Jan. 30:
Jay Calvin Smith, 25, Ronan, was sentenced to the Lake County Jail for six months with all time suspended but 32 days for criminal mischief, a misdemeanor. Smith has credit for 32 days.
According to court documents, charges stem from July 30, 2013, when officers responded to a report that shots had been fired in Pablo from a black Jetta. After responding, officers initiated a traffic stop on a car matching the description, driven and owned by Smith.
Smith admitted a shot had been fired from his vehicle but not by him, and he admitted he retrieved the spent shell casing and threw it in the grass.
The vehicle was impounded, towed to the impound garage and searched, after a search warrant was granted.
Smith was released from custody at Lake County Jail at approximately 2:46 p.m. At 3:30 a.m. on July 31, 2013, someone tried to break into the building complex where Smith’s vehicle was located.
During the search officers found multiple plastic baggies, a small vial with a syringe duct-taped to it and a pipe. From their training and experience, the officers knew the liquid could be methadone, some other dangerous drug or “clean” urine for cheating on drug. tests. The pipe tested positive for methamphetamine.
Andrew Jackson, Ronan, pleaded not guilty to issuing a bad check, a felony.
An omnibus hearing was set for March 13 with a jury trial commencing on April 21.
Michael Ernest Stevens, 57, Pablo, pleaded not guilty to driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, fourth or subsequent offense, a felony.
An omnibus hearing was set for Feb 27 with a jury trail commencing April 7.
Judge James A. Manley dealt with the following cases on Feb.5:
Emery John Smith II, 40, Pablo, had his suspended sentence for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, fourth or subsequent offense, a felony, revoked. According to court documents, violations of his probation and parole were failure to report to his probation officer since November 2013, testing positive to methamphetamine and two occasions and admitting use another time, no job and failure to complete chemical dependency counseling.
The Court sentenced Smith to the Department of Corrections for one year with none of that time suspended. Smith will receive credit for time served while incarcerated.
Robert Lee Crawford, 46, Butte, was sentenced to the Montana State Penitentiary for 20 years with 10 years suspended. Crawford was charged with criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony, on March 17, 2012.
The Court recommended that Crawford be evaluated for mental health treatment and, if appropriate, cognitive principle program and chemical dependency.
Damon James Tichbourne, 36, Kalispell, was sentenced to the Department of Corrections for three years for criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony.
According to court documents, charges stem from an incident on June 14, 2012. Tichbourne was a passenger in a vehicle stopped for crossing Highway 93 at Mud Lake Trail without stopping. Both the driver and Tichbourne were very nervous, displayed rapid speech and breathing and had small sores on their hands and wrists, all of which are symptoms consistent with methamphetamine use and intoxication. Tichbourne’s pupils were very dilated, unusual on a bright and sunny day, according to the arresting officer.
When the officer asked dispatch to check, both men had multiple drug offenses on their records.
The driver gave the officer permission to search the vehicle. The search turned up a glass methamphetamine pipe, a syringe loaded with 60 ccs of clear liquid and an empty syringe.
After transporting both men to the Lake County Jail, the arresting officer field-tested the clear liquid, which proved to be methamphetamine.
Judge Deborah Kim Christopher dealt with the following cases on Thursday, Feb. 6:
Stacey Edward Stevens, 38, St. Ignatius, pleaded not guilty to criminal endangerment, a felony, and criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony.
An omnibus hearing was set for March 6.
Ronald Floyd Burland, 30, had his sentence for burglary, a felony, revoked. According to court documents, Burland violated his parole by failure to serve his jail time, moving without permission from his probation officer, no employment, stealing a gun, not contacting his probation officer, tested positive for marijuana and was in possession of marijuana, a marijuana grinder and pipe.
Sentencing was set for Feb. 20.
