Lake County District Court news for June 28, 2014
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Judge James A. Manley dealt with the following cases Wednesday, May 21:
William Hoover, 56, Missoula, was sentenced to DOC for 13 months plus five years in Montana State Prison, all suspended, for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, fourth or subsequent offense. It was recommended Hoover be put in an appropriate alcohol treatment program, and he was also credited for time served.
According to court documents, charges stem from an October 2013 incident where Hoover was pulled over for weaving all over Highway 93 and arrested for DUI. His record indicated he had eight prior DUI convictions. A blood sample determined his blood alcohol content was .167.
Tyson Clay, 27, Pablo, was sentenced to 20 days in Lake County Jail for criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony, and ordered to obtain a chemical dependency evaluation within 60 days.
According to court documents, charges stem a November 2013 incident where Lake County Sheriff’s deputies observed a disabled vehicle on Highway 93 in Polson. Clay was in the passenger front seat of the vehicle, and told deputies that the driver of the vehicle had left to get gasoline. Dispatch advised the deputies that both Clay and the driver Clay named had suspended sentences, and that there was a warrant for Clay’s arrest. When the driver was not located at any nearby gas stations, the deputy returned and Clay said he had lied about not being the driver. He was arrested. A witness said he had seen Clay put something in the bushes; the deputies found a Marlboro cigarette pack with one and a half Lortabs in the pack. Clay said he did not have a prescription for the Lortab.
Robert Matt, 25, St. Ignatius, was sentenced to 20 days in Lake County Jail for fraudulently obtaining dangerous drugs, a felony.
According to court documents, charges stem from an October 2013 incident where a pharmacist called Tribal police to report a possible forged prescription from Matt that appeared altered to include Lortab. The prescribing physician confirmed it had been altered, and the Lortab addition was not the doctor’s handwriting.
When the officer interviewed Matt, he first denied altering the prescription, but later admitted he was in a lot of pain and tried to get the Lortab so he could snort it.
Blake Castro, 28, Polson, was sentenced to DOC for 10 years with eight suspended for threats and other improper influence in official and political matters, a felony.
According to court documents, charges stem from a Feb. 5 incident where someone reported that Castro was outside in only a pair of pants, flagging down traffic. She said he was behaving strangely and might have taken “shrooms.” When officers arrived, Castro would not get on the ground until the officers said Castro would be tased. Castro was handcuffed. As officers tried to get him into the patrol car, he kicked an officer in the face and shoulder.
Shawn Morefield, 32, Post Falls, Idaho, pleaded not guilty to criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony. An omnibus hearing is set for June 18 and a jury trial is set to begin August 18.
According to court documents, charges stem from an August 2010 incident where Morefield was pulled over for a routine traffic stop, and after consenting to a search of his vehicle, methamphetamine was discovered in his vehicle.
Brandon Bagnell, 45, Missoula, in a change of plea entered a no contest plea and admitted committing the amended offenses of two counts of criminal endangerment, both felonies; and stalking, a felony.
Sentencing is set for June 25.
According to court documents, charges stem from an August 10 incident where lake County deputies and tribal police were advised of a possible assault in Ravalli. A woman who had previously been in a relation with Bagnell said he had come to her cousin’s house and kicked her in the stomach and head, and stabbed her in the hand. She said he was trying to get her to sell dope for him. Three days later, during a search of Bagnell’s vehicle, a tribal officer found several pipes and a syringe. One pipe contained methamphetamine residue.
During his incarceration for that incident, he sent numerous letters to the woman, threatening harm to her for various reasons, include failing to visit him at the prison. She received a restraining order, and has since repeatedly violated that order, resulting in further charges.
Chance Herreid, 17, Ronan, in a change of plea admitted committing criminal endangerment, a felony; and criminal possession with intent to distribute, a felony. The state dismissed the other felony counts. Sentencing is set for June 18. Herreid remains in custody at Missoula Youth detention Center.
According to court documents, Polson Police responded on April 29 to Sixth Avenue West and Third Street West for a report of shots possibly fired from vehicles racing around town.
A vehicle matching the description given by the reporting party was located. The adult driver of the vehicle told police officers that the 17-year-old had shot twice at another minor before the gun was disposed of.
Located in a search of the vehicle were two open knives, a set of scales, a jar of marijuana and small plastic bags. Some marijuana was also wrapped separately, apparently for distribution.
The vehicle was impounded and the suspects detained, but officers could not find the alleged gun.
An interview with witnesses indicated the 17-year-old shot twice at another 14-year-old minor. Witnesses said Facebook threats had occurred between the two recently. The 14-year-old’s bicycle tires had also been recently slit.
One of the witnesses said the shots fired sounded like those of a .22 caliber weapon.
The 17-year-old taken into custody would not talk with officers while detained. Once in detention the juvenile kicked and spat on the walls of the holding cell.
Valenda Curley, 37, Pablo, in a change of plea, admitted committing the offense of criminal possession of dangerous drugs, felony. Sentencing is set for June 25.
According to court documents, charges stem from an October 2012 incident where Curley was arrested on unrelated warrants. A probation search yielded a syringe with methamphetamine inside.
Judge Deborah Kim Christopher dealt with the following cases Thursday, May 22:
Dustin Lee Spotted Blanket, 28, Pablo, in a change of plea pleaded guilty to an amended charge of partner or family member assault, first offense, a misdemeanor. The court accepted the plea and found Spotted Blanket guilty. Sentencing is set for July 3.
According to court documents, charges stem from an April 2 incident where a Lake County Sheriff’s deputy responded to a report of a partner or family member assault. A tribal officer also came and found a woman crying and holding a baby. She had a black eye and a bruise on the right side of her face. She said Spotted Blanket had given her a black eye the day before while they were driving to Missoula with their child. When she saw how the bruise had gotten worse, she used a box cutter to cut holes in a pair of pants she had purchased for Spotted Blanket the previous day.
She said Spotted Blanket saw the ruined pants and threw her on the ground and started choking her and twisting her neck. She said Spotted Blanket said he was going to kill her. She couldn’t breathe. The incident happened in front of their 6-week-old child, according to court reports. The deputy interviewed Spotted Blanket, and Spotted Blanket admitted hitting the victim while she drove to Missoula and also said he choked her for at about 20 seconds.
In a separate case, Spotted Blanket also admitted committing the offense of driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, fourth or subsequent offesns, a felony. The court found him guilty.
Sentencing is also set for July 3. According to court documents, the incident took place in August 2013 on Turtle Lake Loop when Spotted Blanket crashed his vehicle and he was subsequently arrested for DUI.
Charlie Gardipe, 49, Ronan, in a change of plea admitted committing an amended offense of driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, fourth or subsequent offense. The court found Gardipe guilty. Sentencing is set for July 3.
According to court documents, charges stem from a March 13 incident where Gardipe was pulled over on a traffic stop at 2:15 a.m. on Old Highway 93 in Pablo. The sheriff’s deputy noticed signs of intoxication. Gardipe said he’d been drinking. His breath sample read .188, and he had three prior DUI convictions.
Samuel Sharp was sentenced to the Department of Corrections for five years, all suspended. The sentence runs consecutively to his Federal sentence.
According to court documents, charges stem from a January 2013 incident where Sharp was stopped for speeding and lied to officers about his name. Sharp had three bags of methamphetamine in the car that he admitted were his.
Michael Ernest Stevens, 57, Pablo, was sentenced to DOC for five years, all suspended as long as a SCRAM bracelet or a DOC-approved alcohol monitoring system is put in place.
According to court documents, charges stem from a Jan. 12 incident at about 8:41 a.m. when a Sheriff’s deputy responded to a report of a vehicle crash on Old Highway 93. A woman said she heard a vehicle start up, then back up really fast and strike her parked car. The vehicle then pulled forward and struck a fence, and then backed up and struck her trailer home, then struck her car again.
Stevens told the deputy he was given medication last night and was “dinged out” by the medication. It was determined that Stevens was under the influence of a central nervous system depressant and 70 percent impaired. He also had five prior DUI convictions.
Dana Brewer, in a change of plea, pleaded guilty to criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony. The court found Brewer guilty. Sentencing is set for July 10.
According to court documents, charges stem from a June 2013 incident where a search warrant of Brewer’s home revealed a bag containing torn receipts, $7,671 in cash, a trac phone, two notebooks and a smoking device shaped like a bear. Brewer was arrested.
During an interview with an officer at Lake Count Jail, Brewer admitted using drugs the previous morning. The smoking device tested positive for methamphetamine.
