Lake County District Court news for June 18, 2014
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Judge James A. Manley dealt with the following cases Wednesday, June 12:
Ridge R. Lafley, 22, Arlee, pleaded not guilty to criminal possession of dangerous drugs. An omnibus hearing was set for Aug. 6 and a jury trial was set for Oct. 6.
According to court documents, charges stem from a 2012 incident where a Flathead Tribal Police officer arrested Lafley for an outstanding warrant, according to court documents. During the arrest, the officer found a glass pipe in Lafley’s pocket.
Lafley admitted to possession of the pipe and said it was used to smoke marijuana. The officer believed the pipe may have been used to smoke crack cocaine. The state crime lab determined the pipe contained methamphetamine.
Joshua Robert Dempsey, 33, Ronan, pleaded not guilty to felony driving under the influence, a fourth or subsequent offense.
An omnibus trial is scheduled for August 6 and a jury trial is scheduled for Oct. 6.
According to court documents, charges resulted from a May 24 incident where a Flathead Tribal officer stopped Dempsey at 1:59 a.m. after a Lake County Sheriff’s deputy reported that Dempsey had almost hit a patrol vehicle.
Dempsey confessed to have nearly collided with the deputy and stated, “Well yeah, I’m drunk,” when the Tribal officer asked if Dempsey had been drinking. Dempsey apologized for nearly colliding with the Sheriff’s deputy and submitted to sobriety tests. He performed poorly, reeked of alcohol, and was unsteady on his feet during the tests. Tests determined his blood alcohol concentration was .153. Dempsey had three prior DUI convictions.
Isiah Russell, 21, pleaded guilty to felony assault on a peace officer. An omnibus hearing was scheduled for Aug. 6 and a jury trial was scheduled for Oct. 6.
According to court documents, Russell was stopped by a Ronan Police Officer at 11 p.m. on May 28. The officer observed Russell acting oddly and disrupting the peace. When the officer identified himself to Russell, Russell ran away. The officer caught and grabbed Russell. The officer tried to calm Russell down, but Russell struggled and told the officer that there were others trying to fight him. No one else was present except the officer and Russell.
Russell struck the officer in the head, jaw, and neck, but was unable to land other blows that the officer dodged.
The officer was able to get Russell on the ground, but Russell continued to try to hit the officer. Russell tried to pull a knife from the officer’s vest while the officer communicated with dispatch. The officer eventually got Russell to let go of the knife.
Russell was taken to St. Luke Hospital where he admitted to getting in a fight with an officer and said that he wanted to hurt the officer. Russell later said those statements were a joke.
Robert Stokes, 31, homeless, pleaded not guilty to criminal endangerment. An omnibus hearing was scheduled for Aug. 6 and a jury trial was scheduled for Oct. 6.
According to court documents the charges stem from a May 25 incident where a Montana Highway Patrol trooper attempted a traffic stop in Pablo, when the vehicle refused to pull over and accelerated in speed. A 25-mile chase followed, in which Stokes ignored traffic signals, ran off the roadway and spun in the roadway to regain control of the vehicle, and drove in the oncoming lane of traffic. Speeds reached more than 100 miles per hour.
Stokes led officers down primitive Sloan Road and over Sloan’s Bridge at a speed of 95 miles per hour. Officers pursuing Stokes believed the primitive condition of the road and the high speeds put other motors traveling on the road at substantial risk of serious injury or death.
The pursuit led into Sanders County, when Stokes drove down a dead end road into a field. Officers attempted to block Stokes in. The Montana Highway Patrol officer and a Lake County Sheriff’s deputy got out of their cars and drew their guns, but Stokes managed to drive through a fence.
A Lake County Sheriff’s deputy then fired on the vehicle in an attempt to stop the vehicle and protect the public. Stokes then exited the vehicle and attempted to flee on foot. He was caught by a Tribal officer after being tased.
On Thursday, June 12, Judge Deborah Kim Christopher dealt with the following cases.
Diana Park, 45, of Bernieville, Okla., received a three years deferred sentence for issuing a bad check, a felony. The sentence is conditional upon payment of restitution.
According to court documents charges resulted from Park issuing three bad checks at Polson businesses in the total amount of $2,814.93 on dates between July 24, 2013 and July 27, 2013. The Lake County Attorney’s Office gave Park a chance to pay the balance of the accounts, but Park moved out of state and did not keep her promise to pay. Prosecutors learned Park had felony charges in Flathead and Lincoln counties for issuing bad checks.
Jerome Louis O’brien, Sr., 32, Big Arm, pleaded not guilty to felony theft. An omnibus hearing was set for July 31. A jury trial was set for Sept. 22.
According to court documents O’brien was placed in charge of a computer, two GPS units, a video camera and chainsaw during his employment with the Salish Kootenai College Extension Office in summer 2013. A supervisor told O’brien to return the property to the office, but O’brien failed to do so.
In February 2014 a college employee found one of the GPS units and the computer at the White Elephant Pawn Shop in Ronan. One GPS unit had already been pawned. The store’s records showed that O’brien had pawned the items.
In addition, O’brien used SKC accounts to make unauthorized purchases of a reciprocal saw and chainsaw at Ace Hardware in Polson and Ronan.
O’brien admitted to the crime and told a Lake County Sheriff’s Office investigator that he was in financial trouble when he stole the items.
Richard Nicholas Jakob, in a plea agreement, pleaded no contest to the amended offense of misdemeanor negligent endangerment and not guilty to misdemeanor no liability insurance.
Jakob was found guilty and sentenced to two days in Lake County Jail or six days of home arrest for the no liability insurance charge, and one year in Lake County Jail with all suspended for the negligent endangerment charge.
Jakob must obtain chemical dependency evaluation before Sept. 11, and follow any treatment planned. If treatment is successfully obtained, then all jail time will be suspended.
According to court documents, charges stemmed from a Jan. 1 incident where a Flathead Tribal Police officer observed a vehicle traveling northbound on Highway 93 near Jocko Bridge without any illuminated tail lamps near dusk at 3:12 p.m.
The officer initiated a stop and Jakob was not able to provide insurance, and smelled of alcohol. His eyes were bloodshot and glassy. His movements were slow; he could not understand the officer’s questions, and his speech was quiet and slow.
Jakob told the officer that he had one beer with dinner that evening. Jakob performed poorly on field sobriety tests and told the officer that “This is hard,” during one of the tests. He was only able to recite the alphabet to letter “Q” and then had to restart, this time rattling the numbers off quickly and eventually finishing in sing-song.
Lake County Sheriff’s deputies provided backup and administered a breath test. Jakob’s blood alcohol concentration was .190.
Jakob was transported to Lake County Jail where Jakob refused to provide a second breath sample. Jakob’s record showed three prior DUI convictions, and officers pursued a search warrant for a blood sample, which was granted by Judge Manley. Blood samples were taken at St. Joseph Hospital in Polson.
Helen Harris, in a change of plea, pleaded guilty to two counts of felony possession of dangerous drugs.
According to court documents, charges stem from a Jan. 24 incident where a Montana Highway Patrol Trooper stopped a vehicle for failing to display a rear plate. In a search of the vehicle individually packaged bags were found of methamphetamine and hydrocodone. Pill crushers, pipes, an envelope consistent with notations of a drug ledger, and a police scanner where found.
In an interview at Lake County Jail, Harris claimed all of the items in the car were hers, but denied distributing drugs.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 17.
Logan Steffensmeier, 17, Charlo, in a change of plea, admitted to committing sexual intercourse without consent. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 17. A sexual evaluation was ordered.
According to court documents charges resulted from conduct that occurred between July and August 2013, when Steffensmeier had sexual intercourse without consent with a minor.
A parent reported the 15-year-old victim missing on August 6, 2013 and told Lake County Sheriff’s deputies that she might be with Steffensmeier. A search of the victim’s Facebook account revealed that Steffensmeier had sent the girl 22,000 messages. Facebook messages revealed the pair had been having sex. The parent printed the messages and gave them to law enforcement. Deputies located the girl with Steffensmeier and she was reunited with her parents.
Once Steffensmeier knew law enforcement had obtained the messages, he sent the victim more messages suggesting that he impregnate the girl so her parents couldn’t keep her away from him.
The Facebook messages indicate that Steffensmeier had been informed by his probation officer that he could not have sex with people who are more than two years younger than him.
The victim said the sex was not forced, but that she was pressured into it by Steffensmeier. She told deputies the two had had sex between five and eight times. Steffensmeier told deputies he had never done more than kiss the girl.
Vanessa Kay Jones, 51, in a change of plea, pleaded guilty to felony possession of dangerous drugs. Sentencing was scheduled for July 10.
According to court documents, the incident stems from a February 2013 incident where the St. Ignatius Police Department responded to an attempted suicide by drug overdose.
Jones was found unresponsive with another unresponsive person. The other unresponsive person later told the officer that Jones gave her 20 pills and asked that she come to bed. The person woke up later and could not walk.
