Lake County District Court news for Mar. 19, 2014
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Judge James A. Manley dealt with the following cases Wednesday, March 12:
Byron Hawkbear, 37, Arlee, was sentenced to the Department of Corrections for five years, with one year suspended for two counts of partner/family member assault, both felonies; one count was a third offense, one count was a third or subsequent offense. The sentencing followed a March 5 case where he had his suspended sentence revoked.
According to court documents, Hawkbear was originally sentenced October 2007 to Montana State Prison for a total of 10 years on both counts, with all but a total of 150 days suspended. In March 2008, his suspended sentences were revoked. He violated probation and parole in March 2011 and most recently in October 2013.
Matthew Stephen Day, 37, Polson, pleaded not guilty to criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony. An omnibus hearing is set for Wednesday, April 2 and a jury is scheduled for Monday, June 2.
According to court documents, charges stem from a Feb. 28 incident where Day was arrested for a misdemeanor and taken to Lake County Jail. While Day was being searched, officers found four rolled marijuana joints, a small digital scale, a glass pipe with apparent methamphetamine residue, and a small baggie containing a small amount of methamphetamine. The residue was sent to the crime lab for confirmation.
Ronnie Boyce, 31, Charlo, 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, April 16.
According to court documents, charges stem from a September 2013 incident where Lake County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a Charlo residence for a report of possible suicide attempt. They found Ronnie Boyce asleep or unconscious in bed. When the deputies roused her, she was confused. The deputy saw several pharmaceuticals and several syringes with a mix of medication and blood in them in the bathroom sink. It was later confirmed that the items were taken from St. Luke hospital, where Boyce worked as a nurse.
Richard Frank Bleick, 45, Ronan, pleaded not guilty to two counts of criminal possession of dangerous drugs, both felonies. An omnibus hearing is set for Wednesday, April 2 and a jury trial is set for Monday, June 2.
According to court documents, charges stem from a July 2012 incident where a Lake County office responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle on Stinger Road. Although Bleick first lied about his identity, he was correctly identified and arrested on a prior warrant. The officer could see items in the car used to ingest illegal drugs, so after obtaining a search warrant, the officer found a syringe, a marijuana pipe, a pipe with suspected methamphetamine residue, a plastic bag with a white powder, and five pills, three of which were suspected to be hydrocodone.
Judge Deborah Kim Christopher dealt with the following cases Thursday, March 13:
Michaelanne Goen, St. Ignatius, pleaded not guilty to two counts of criminal endangerment, both felonies. An omnibus hearing is set for April 24 and a jury trial for June 9.
According to court documents, charges stem from a November 2012 incident where a Montana Highway Patrol Trooper responded to a crash on Highway 93. Upon investigation, the trooper concluded that Goen failed to stop at a stop sign when entering the highway and was struck by oncoming traffic. She was ejected from the vehicle through the driver’s side front door and landed about 15 feet from the vehicle. Two female children, ages 3 and 4, were unrestrained. The 4-year-old was injured and taken to the hospital. The occupants of the other vehicle were all restrained and uninjured.
Because Goen showed signs of intoxication at the crash, a blood sample was taken and it showed Goen’s blood alcohol concentration was .170, more than twice the legal limit.
Tadd Wilson, 25, St. Ignatius, pleaded not guilty to theft and three counts of assault on a peace officer, all felonies. An omnibus hearing is set for April 24 and a jury trial is set to begin May 27.
According to court documents, charges stem from a December 2013 incident where someone from Ronan Dodge reported a black Jeep had been stolen off the lot between closing the night before an opening that morning.
At around 3 p.m. the same day, the vehicle was located outside Wilson’s residence on Mission Dam Road. When officers tried to arrest Wilson, he became belligerent and struggled with the officers. During an interview with a sheriff’s deputy, Wilson was asked if he owned the vehicle, and Wilson replied “yes.” When asked if he’d been driving the Jeep, he said “maybe.” Then Wilson explained that “you cannot steal a vehicle if the keys are in it; it’s only against the law if you have to break into it in order to steal it.” Wilson insisted he purchased the Jeep, but did not appear to know from whom he had purchased it. Wilson’s laptop computer was in the vehicle.
On Jan. 16, Wilson paid $500 bail. Wilson did not show up for his Jan. 30 arraignment, another was rescheduled. Wilson did not show up again in court on Feb. 6, although the county attorney stated there’s nothing to indicate Wilson was informed of the court date.
When Wilson did not show at the rescheduled arraignment on Feb. 13, a warrant was issued for his arrest.
When three Lake County Sheriff’s deputies went to Wilson’s home Feb. 22 with the arrest warrant, Wilson “became cagey” when asked to confirm his identity. Once confirmed, Wilson was asked to step outside. When officers tried to handcuff Wilson, Wilson resisted and called for his father to “get the gun.” Wilson was warned he would be tased if he did not stop resisting. Wilson was then “dry tased,” without prongs, which had no effect. Then Wilson kicked the first deputy in the leg, and the deputy tased Wilson again, this time with the prongs, and officers were able to handcuff him. However, Wilson continued to be combatant and appeared to be reaching for his pocket. When a second deputy tried to check his pocket for a weapon, Wilson kicked that deputy in the leg. As the deputies attempted to place Wilson in the patrol car, he continued to struggle and kicked a third deputy in the groin area. In addition, the first deputy ended up with a minor scrape and a bruised elbow.
Devon Joel Morris, 18, Polson, pleaded not guilty burglary, a felony, and theft, a misdemeanor. An omnibus hearing is set for April 24 and a jury trial is set to begin June 9.
According to court documents, charges stem from a November incident where two guns were reported stolen from a shop in a Ronan field. The victim suspected Morris and two other boys had stolen the guns.
The guns were located in Morris’ truck, and Morris was picked up and interviewed. He told officers all three of the males had entered the shop, and he had taken one of the guns, and another male had taken the other one with the intent to sell them.
Luis Mateo Denobrega, in a change of plea, admitted committing child endangerment, a felony. The court found him guilty. Sentencing is set for April 10.
According to court documents, charges stem from a December 2013 incident where Denobrega purposely and knowingly fired two different types of shot from a shotgun into an occupied home on Leaning Tree Lane in Pablo, with knowledge that there were people inside. Inside the residence were five adults, a small child and a newborn infant.
Adrian Long, 32, Polson, admitted committing partner/family member assault, third or subsequent offense, a felony. The court found Long guilty. Long was ordered to meet immediately with Probation and Parole to begin paperwork for a pre-sentencing investigation. Long was authorized to be released after he received paperwork. Sentencing is set for Thursday, May 1.
According to court documents, charges stem from a Feb. 25 incident where dispatch received a call shortly after midnight that a woman was yelling for someone to call 911 at a residence across the street. The caller could hear the woman screaming at someone to get out of the residence, and then it became “ominously quiet.”
Deputies arrived at that residence and spoke to Long, who appeared intoxicated. He said he was alone, but later said his wife was upstairs. She answered from behind a locked bathroom door downstairs. The husband said his wife had showed up drunk and started pounding on the door, and said they had an argument over lost keys. Long told officers nothing physical had occurred, and to speak to his mother-in-law, who would “assure them that his wife was crazy.” As Long spoke, he tended to drift off during sentences and had difficultly remembering his thoughts.
When officers spoke to the wife, they could see she had been crying, her left cheek was swollen and red. She said she had been out with her mother and upon returning, got into an argument with Long. She said he had grabbed her by the neck and squeezed until she nearly lost consciousness. She told Long to leave, and when he would not, she screamed for someone to call 911. An officer saw several black and blue marks on her neck and a clear finger mark.
Long has two prior convictions for partner/family member assault.
Judge Deborah Kim Christopher dealt with the following cases March 6:
Jennica Rose Mesteth, 27, Charlo, pleaded not guilty to aggravated assault, a felony. An omnibus hearing is set for April 24 and a jury trial is set to begin June 9.
According to court documents, charges stem from a Jan. 22 incident where Mesteth allegedly choked another woman to the point that the victim lost consciousness. A tribal police officer responded to a report of an assault in Charlo, where the victim said she had been drinking with Mesteth the night before when Mesteth got angry because someone had eaten her pizza. Mesteth allegedly began kicking the woman and eventually choked her unconscious. Another woman in the residence tried to break it up when Mesteth allegedly hit the woman trying to break up the fight in the head with a TV antenna box, and also bit her.
Jeanette Couture, 36, Arlee, pleaded not guilty to driving under the influence of alcohol, fourth or subsequent offense, a felony. An omnibus hearing is set for April 24 with a jury trial set to begin May 27.
According to court documents, charges stem from a December 2013 incident where a Lake County Sheriff’s deputy responded to a report of a burglary at a vacant rental residence. The back door was busted open, a splitting maul was propped up next to it, and about 20 DVDs and personal items were missing. Footprints in the snow led to Orr’s home, where Orr confessed he had broken into the neighbor’s house with a friend. Orr said his friend had all the stolen property and did not know where the friend lived.
Colby James Roberts, 19, Ronan, pleaded not guilty to assault with a weapon and criminal endangerment, both felonies. An omnibus hearing is set for April 24 and a jury trial is set to begin June 9.
According to court documents, charges stem from a Jan. 11 incident Roberts had allegedly chased down a man in another vehicle, reaching speeds of at least 85 mph on Highway 93 in dark and icy road conditions.
The man being chased called dispatch to say he was afraid to stop because Roberts wanted to beat him up. Roberts had allegedly pulled alongside the man, braked in front of him nearly causing and accident, and had thrown beer bottles at the man’s vehicle.
Roberts had three passengers in his pickup truck; all had been to a party in Polson. Roberts refused to stop until the police pulled him over. Officers estimated the chase had gone on for 15 miles.
Emilie Yellow Owl, 34, Pablo, per a plea agreement was committed to the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services to be placed in an appropriate facility for 20 years with 10 suspended for aggravated assault, a felony.
According to court documents, charges stem from a September 2013 incident where Yellow Owl had stabbed her mother in the back multiple times while she was sleeping, after spraying her with mace. She told officers she was angry because she had been raped the night before and her mother did nothing to stop it.
The plea agreement states Yellow Owl was suffering from a mental disease at the time of the offense and was unable to appreciate the criminality of her behavior or conform her behavior to the requirements of the law.
Jonathan Drennan-Beck, 19, Pablo, in a change of plea, pleaded guilty to assault with a weapon, criminal endangerment, and criminal possession of dangerous drugs, all felonies. Sentencing is set for April 24.
According to court documents, charges stem from a Dec. 8 incident where Drennan-Beck had used a .45 caliber handgun and fired multiple shots into a residence on Joe Dog Drive in Pablo. A woman and her daughter were inside the residence at the time, and rolled onto the floor to avoid getting hit. When officers located Brennen-Beck, they also found baggies containing methamphetamine.
Ronnie Floyd Burland, 29, Ronan in a change of plea admitted committing burglary, a felony. The court found Burland guilty. Sentencing is set for April 24.
According to court documents, charges stem from a Jan. 1 incident where a Ronan resident reported a burglary at his home. His .22 magnum rifle was stolen from his gun cabinet. There was a broken window in the spare bedroom and broken doors to a patio. The victim said Burland was one of the only people who knew where the key was hidden, that Burland had stolen the gun in the past, and the victim had previously called the police to report Burland trespassing on his property. Tracks in the snow matched Burland’s foot tread.
Rose Knott, 51, St. Ignatius in a change of plea pleaded guilty to theft, a felony. The court found Knott guilty. Sentencing is set for April 24.
According to court documents, charges stem from a November 2010 incident where the Social Security Administration received information that Knott was fraudulently receiving social security benefits in excess of what she was were entitled to, and lying about her living arrangements. The amount of excess payments exceeds $1,500. Per the plea agreement, Knott agrees to pay $15,479.42 in restitution, plus additional costs and surcharges, and serve 400 hours of community service.
