Your Best Source For Sanders County News
Your Best Source For Sanders County News
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Nicholas Robert Smalley pleaded guilty on Tuesday to a felony count of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, fourth or subsequent offense, pursuant to a plea agreement between the parties. Smalley’s attorney, Benjamin Darrow, advised that this agreement is part of a global agreement that will resolve Smalley’s additional pending charges in Missoula County. Judge Molly Owen set this matter for sentencing on September 24. Appearing for a change of plea in his two pending criminal cases, after reaching a plea agreement, William Luc...
Michael Ellis McBride came before Judge John Mercer on Tuesday, entering his admissions to the reported violations in the petition to revoke. After discussion between the parties, McBride was committed to the Department of Corrections for the remaining five years of his sentence, with credit for 701 days of street time and 44 days time served in jail. McBride was remanded to the custody of the Sanders County Sheriff’s Office for transport to the Department of Corrections. Appearing for a change of plea pursuant to a plea agreement, James W...
Nicholas Robert Smalley made his initial appearance before Judge Molly Owen on Tuesday, entering a not guilty plea to a new felony charge of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol and misdemeanor charges of driving while license suspended and unlawful possession of alcoholic beverage container in motor vehicle. Judge Owen set this matter for an arraignment on July 23, after discussion between the parties regarding a potential global resolution following a revocation also being filed in Missoula County. As alleged in the filed...
Appearing before Judge John Mercer on Tuesday, Michael Ellis McBride entered his general denials to allegations that he violated the terms of his probation. McBride allegedly admitted to using methamphetamine and absconded from supervision for 413 days, according to the filed affidavit in support of the revocation. McBride was on probation for charges of burglary, theft, and bail jumping, for which he was sentenced in 2010. Judge Mercer set this matter for a hearing on the merits on July 16, 2024....
Appearing before Judge John Mercer on Tuesday, Benjamin Winkler entered his general denials to allegations brought forth by Probation and Parole regarding a revocation of his probation. Judge Mercer set this matter for a hearing on the merits on August 20, 2024. According to the affidavit filed in support of the petition to revoke, in violation of his conditions of probation, Winkler was allegedly in possession of child pornography, hasn’t completed the court ordered sex offender treatment, and attended an event where children were present a...
Justin John Mielke appeared before Judge Molly Owen on Tuesday for an initial appearance on new charges, as well as a petition to revoke probation for a previous case that he was sentenced for in April. Mielke entered not guilty pleas to a felony count of criminal possession of dangerous drugs and two misdemeanor counts of criminal possession of drug paraphernalia and driving under the influence, first offense. Mielke also entered his general denials to the revocation allegations, which stem from the new charges he faces. According to the filed...
Appearing for her arraignment in District Court on Tuesday, Shela Laurayne Herring pleaded not guilty to felony charges of criminal endangerment and assault on a peace officer and a misdemeanor charge of aggravated driving under the influence, third offense. Judge Molly Owen set this matter for a jury trial on October 21. On March 21 around 8:30 p.m, as alleged in the charging documents, Deputy Devin Wegener was patrolling in the Paradise area when he observed a truck turn onto River Road East without using their turn signal. He also saw that...
Appearing before Judge John W. Larson on Tuesday, Nicholas Ray Needles changed his plea to guilty to one count of incest, pursuant to a plea agreement between the parties. After some discussion regarding the agreed upon sentence and parole restrictions, Judge Larson set this matter for sentencing on July 30, 2024....
At Montana State University in Bozeman on Monday, the Montana Supreme Court heard oral arguments regarding two of the issues addressed in former Thompson Falls resident Danielle Wood’s appeal of her 2021 conviction for deliberate homicide in the May 2018 murder of her former partner, Matthew LaFriniere. Wood was found guilty following a two-week jury trial at the Sanders County Courthouse before former Judge Deborah Kim Christopher in January 2021, which she appealed in May of that year. Wood is currently serving her 100-year sentence in the M...
Following a global plea agreement that resolves the three cases pending before the court, Alton Steinhoff entered a no contest plea in 20th District Judicial Court on Tuesday to a felony charge of escape. Per the plea agreement, Steinhoff was committed to the custody of the Department of Public Health and Human Services for a period of 10 years, with five years suspended and credit for 203 days time served. Additionally, the other two cases were dismissed. In his statement to the court, Steinhoff expressed remorse for his actions and said that...
James William Hill made his initial appearance before Judge Molly Owen last week on a felony charge of failing to give notice of change of address by a sexual/violent offender, pleading not guilty. A jury trial was set for September 19, 2024. According to the charging documents, on January 2, Detective Ethan Harvey was contacted by Lynn Bierwagen, Probation and Parole, regarding one of her probationers that she had recently revoked. Hill, a registered sex offender, had a last known address in Paradise but had been arrested and was being held...
After nearly 24 years of serving the people of Lake and Sanders counties as a judge in the Twentieth Judicial District, Judge Deborah "Kim" Christopher has announced her retirement, effective April 5. Christopher first took the bench in 2000, becoming the first female judge to serve the Twentieth Judicial District. Growing up in Polson, but with family ties to Sanders County through her mother's family, Christopher attended law school at the University of Montana, starting her legal career as an...
Coming before Judge Molly Owen for his initial appearance, Brent Allen Wiegele entered a not guilty plea to one felony count of burglary on Tuesday. A jury trial was set for July 23, 2024. As alleged in the charging documents, on or around March 22, 2023, Sanders County Sheriff’s Deputy Craig McCarthy was advised of a reported trespass at a property between Thompson Falls and Trout Creek. According to the property owner, they had recently inherited the ranch and its equipment. The first time they had noticed anything amiss was the previous d...
Theodore Gibson made an initial appearance on Tuesday before Judge John Larson for a felony charge of assault with a deadly weapon, entering a plea of not guilty. A jury trial was scheduled for July 15, 2024. As detailed in the affidavit filed with the court, on February 10, Sanders County Sheriff’s Deputy Corey Wheeldon responded to the Barber Shop Bar in Hot Springs following a report of a male entering the bar with a firearm and waiving it at patrons. Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Zachary Rehbein also responded, arriving on scene prior t...
Appearing for his initial appearance, William Lucas Wyatt entered not guilty pleas in court on Tuesday to felony charges of burglary and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, stemming from a break-in at the Top Shelf Botanicals dispensary in Plains. Judge Deborah Kim Christopher set this matter for a jury trial on July 15, 2024. Co-defendant McKenzie Allen Managhan also appeared for an initial appearance on a felony charge of burglary by accountability, in relation to the same incident. Managhan's jury trial was set for July 15, 204...
After a three-day jury trial last week, a panel of jurors found Joshua Michael Dodson not guilty of two felony counts of assault with a weapon and strangulation of a partner or family member, but found Dodson guilty of a felony count of criminal endangerment and one misdemeanor count of partner or family member assault, 1st offense. Dodson had stood accused of an altercation with a female partner during an argument that allegedly led to Dodson physically assaulting her and threatening to burn down the camper she lived in. Judge Deborah Kim...
Coming before the court for his initial appearance, Jesse James Motes pled not guilty to a felony count of aggravated assault on Tuesday. Judge Molly Owen set this case for a jury trial on August 28, 2024. As alleged in the charging documents, on October 12, 2023, Hot Springs Police Chief Robyn Largent was dispatched to the Creekside Apartments regarding a report of an assault. Upon arriving at the location, Chief Largent noted injuries on the alleged victim, who was visibly upset and initially didn’t want to talk. Chief Largent was able to s...
Appearing before Judge Deborah Kim Christopher on Tuesday, Toby Elvadore Zak entered a plea of guilty to a felony charge of criminal possession of dangerous drugs, pursuant to a plea agreement. After a brief discussion regarding prior criminal history and Zak’s current probation from Idaho, a sentencing hearing was set for March 19, 2024. Braden J. Jones appeared for his initial appearance on a petition to revoke his deferred sentence. After discovering that Missoula Probation and Parole had changed their recommendations for re-sentencing in a...
James Vernon Day, Jr., appeared before Judge Molly Owen on Tuesday for his initial appearance. Day entered a plea of not guilty to felony charges of theft, unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted person, removing or falsifying a vehicle identification number, criminal mischief, and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence. Day also pleaded not guilty to two misdemeanor charges of theft and criminal possession of drug paraphernalia. Judge Owen set this matter for jury trial on June 24, 2024. According to the filed affidavit, on...
Ronnie Maxwell Goodrum made his initial appearance before Judge Deborah “Kim” Christopher on Tuesday, pleading not guilty to a felony count of assault with a weapon. A jury trial was set for June 3, 2024. According to the filed affidavit, on December 26, 2023, Thompson Falls Chief of Police Chris Nichols received a call from Sanders County dispatch regarding a report from a resident saying that Goodrum had been at his home, making threats, and refusing to leave. The resident stated that Goodrum was attempting to locate his ex-girlfriend, who wa...
Anthony T. Worth appeared before Judge Molly Owen on Tuesday, pleading guilty to one felony charge of criminal possession of dangerous drugs, as well as three misdemeanor charges of criminal possession of drug paraphernalia, driving while suspended/revoked, and a seatbelt violation. A jury trial was set for June 24, 2024. According to the filed affidavit, on November 23, 2023, Trooper Steven Spurr was patrolling Upper Lynch Creek Road near Plains when he observed a white box truck exceeding the posted speed limit. As he slowed his patrol vehicl...
Nicholas Ray Needles pleaded not guilty to six felony counts of incest before Judge Deborah Kim Christopher on Tuesday during his arraignment. As Judge John Larson has assumed jurisdiction over this matter after a motion for substitution of judge, Judge Christopher held the arraignment on his behalf. Judge Larson’s office will issue a date for the jury trial in the near future. As detailed in the filed affidavit, on November 16, Thompson Falls Police Officer Michael Derry was dispatched to a home in Thompson Falls following a report of possible...
Following the passage of HB470, also known as the Yield-Slow Down-Move Over Act, earlier this year new requirements went into effect October 1 regarding how drivers must respond to emergency personnel and highway workers when stationary with their emergency lights and/or siren engaged. HB 470 amended several sections of the Montana Code Annotated that related to emergency vehicles, highway worker’s vehicles, and how the public shall respond when these vehicles have their lights or sirens on. As detailed in MCA 61-8-388, when approaching a s...
Gary William Rubusch appeared before Judge Molly Owen on Tuesday, pleading not guilty to a felony charge of criminal possession of dangerous drugs and a misdemeanor charge of criminal possession of drug paraphernalia. Rubusch’s attorney, Cheryl Copperstone, requested that her client be released on his own recognizance. County Attorney, Megan Hansen, had no objection to this request as Rubusch is currently on probation, leading to Judge Owen granting the request. A jury trial was set for May 13, 2024. According to the charging documents, on N...
Appearing on Tuesday before Judge Deborah Kim Christopher for an initial appearance, Douglas D. Paige entered a not guilty plea to felony counts of criminal possession of dangerous drugs and criminal possession with intent to distribute. Judge Christopher set this matter for a jury trial on April 15, 2024. On August 15 at approximately 3 p.m., according to the filed affidavit, Sanders County Sheriff’s Deputy Paul Bankhead was advised of a report of two men allegedly fighting, drinking and soon to be driving from the Wild Coyote Bar near T...
