Law enoforcement and court records - March 13

Judge Manley presiding

*The following took place on Mar. 5.

-After reaching a plea agreement for a felony DUI charge and an additional account of criminal endangerment, Carla Wigton, 52, of Polson, was sentenced to the Department of Corrections (DOC) for a period of 13 months, with two separate five-year terms suspended. Wigton was ruled ineligible for parole and will be required to served the remainder of the 13-month sentence on probation if a residential alcohol treatment program is successfully completed.

According to an affidavit filed with the case, on Nov. 4, Wigton was involved in an accident at the bottom of Polson Hill on U.S. Highway 93, when she reportedly “ran a red light at the intersection and crashed into a vehicle lawfully turning left onto Highway 35.” Wigton reportedly appeared to be intoxicated to responding officers and refused to provide a breath sample. A sample taken later at the jail revealed a blood alcohol content of .159. Wigton’s driving records reflects at least five prior DUIs.

-Terrance Gardipe appeared in court for arraignment and pled not guilty to six felony counts of sexual intercourse without consent and an addition felony count of sexual assault.

The alleged sexual encounters occurred between Gardipe and a cousin who was only 11 years old when the incidents were first reported back in April 2013. Court records indicate that the victim said the first physical encounter between her and Gardipe had occurred on a camping trip in 2009 or 2010.

Gardipe will next appear in court for an omnibus hearing on April 16, with a jury trial commencing on June 16. The court determined at Wednesday’s hearing that he will continue to be detained.

-Justin Jennison, 27, of Polson, pled not guilty to a felony drug charge.

Court documents state that on Feb. 24, Jennison “knowingly possessed more than 60 grams of marijuana” when officers responded to a 911 call at a Polson residence and detected an “overpowering odor” of the drug.

The matter was set for an omnibus hearing on April 16 with a jury trial commencing on June 16.

-Correne Roth, 27, of Elmo, was arraigned and pled not guilty to a felony count of forgery.

Court documents state that, in February, Roth had allegedly used a stolen checkbook to purchase pizzas from Pizza Hut and items from Walmart in Polson. A total of six checks had been fraudulently cashed after the checkbook was reported to have been stolen. According to court documents, surveillance footage from Walmart “showed that three different females, including the defendant, used [the victim’s] checks to pay for merchandise at Walmart.” The checks in question were also cashed at Stageline Pizza, Pier 93, KwaTaqNuk Casino and Pizza Hut, where Roth was arrested after a manager contacted police when she attempted to pay with a check but could not provide identification.

Roth will next appear in court for an omnibus hearing on Mar. 19 with a jury trial set to commence on May 19.

-After determining that her mental capacity was impaired as a result of post traumatic stress disorder, District Court Judge James Manley handed Lisa Oldperson, 45, of Ronan, a pair of deferred three-year sentences to run consecutive to one another. Oldperson had faced two felony counts of criminal child endangerment.

Court records state that on Aug. 1, Oldperson was pulled over for erratic and unsafe driving on U.S. Highway 93 in Pablo. According to court documents, “two young girls [were] in the back seat who were not wearing seat belts.” A breath test performed at the tribal jail indicated that Oldperson had a blood-alcohol content of .111.

-Pursuant to a plea agreement reached the previous week, Jeremy Smithson, 28, addressed four separate criminal cases by entering a plea of no contest to a felony burglary charge, and had two felony drug charges dismissed. Smithson’s conduct was also sufficient to revoke a suspended sentence from a 2013 conviction for theft.

An affidavit filed in court states that in Feb. 2013, Smithson was caught stealing laptops from a homeowner on Mountain View Road and drove away in a silver car, cutting across a field and crashing through a fence in the process. The car lost a license plate in the ordeal, which was later recovered in the field and linked to the getaway vehicle, according to court records.

Additionally, Smithson’s suspended six-year felony theft conviction from April 2013 revoked after reportedly committing a litany of probation violations, including possession of methamphetamine and alcohol and burglarizing a storage unit.

Smithson will be sentenced on April 2.

Judge Christopher presiding

*The following took place on Mar. 6.

-Michael Thomas, 33, of Pablo, was sentenced to the DOC for 50 years with 42 years suspended for a sexual assault conviction.

According to court documents, the charges arose from a Mar. 2013 incident in which Thomas was accused of inappropriate sexual conduct toward his step-son.

-Rose Knott, of St. Ignatius, reached a plea agreement and admitted to a felony count of theft, after allegedly “receiving social security benefits in excess of what [she was] entitled to.”

An affidavit in the case states that in 2010, the Social Security Administration received word that Knott and her husband, David Knott, were providing the agency with misleading information. Knott’s husband was allegedly “concealing employment by using his son’s social security number”, and Rose was “reporting that she lived alone when in fact David was living with her.”

Knott will be sentenced on April 24.

Justice Court, Judge Jayne presiding

*The following took place from Feb. 28 to Mar. 6.

-Thomas Dempsey, 34. Seatbelt violation, a misdemeanor. Fined $20.

-Nicholas Andrews, 21. Possessing intoxicating substances while under the age of 21 - second offense, a misdemeanor. Fined $235.

-Fritz Wolff, 37. Speeding - exceeding day limit of 70 mph, a misdemeanor. Fined $20.

-Thomas Dempsey, 34. Speeding - exceeding night limit of 65 mph, a misdemeanor. Fined $40.

-Candace Aldrich, 32. Driving without a valid drivers license, a misdemeanor. Fined $85. 180 days in jail, all suspended. ROW violation - failure to yield to vehicle on through highway, a misdemeanor. Fined $85.

-Matthew Trogden, 25. Speeding - exceeding day limit of 70 mph, a misdemeanor. Fined $20.

-Nico Reid, 21. Driving a motor vehicle while privilege to do so is suspended or revoked, a misdemeanor. Fined $285. 180 days in jail with 178 days suspended. Failure to have child under 6 years old and less than 60 lbs. properly restrained, a misdemeanor. Fined $50.

-Kurt Marsh, 44. Speeding - exceeding restricted zone limit, a misdemeanor. Fined $85.

-Jonalyn Starkel, 21. Assault, a misdemeanor. Fined $185. 180 days in jail, all suspended. Selling or providing alcoholic beverages to person under 21, a misdemeanor. Fined $235. 180 days in jail, all suspended.

-Juston Caston, 18. Speeding - exceeding restricted zone limit, a misdemeanor. Fined $55.

-Theresa Came, 64. Speeding - exceeding restricted zone limit, a misdemeanor. Fined $85.

-Juston Caston, 18. Speeding - exceeding night limit of 65 mph, a misdemeanor. Fined $20.

-Arlene Manuel, 59. Operating without liability insurance in effect - first offense, a misdemeanor. Fined $285. 10 days in jail, all suspended.

-Regan Courville-Rosales, 19. Criminal possession of drug paraphernalia, a misdemeanor. Fined $485. 180 days in jail with 179 days suspended.

-Robert Conners, 22. Improper passing - in no-passing zone, a misdemeanor. Fined $85.

-Linda Jones, 53. Speeding - exceeding restricted zone limit, a misdemeanor. Fined $85.

-Jason Mayer, 23. Seatbelt violation, a misdemeanor. Fined $20.

-John Warren, 65. Operating with expired registration - failure to re-register, a misdemeanor. Fined $85.

-Theresa Came, 64. Driving under the influence of alcohol - first offense, a misdemeanor. Fined $485. 180 days in jail with 179 days suspended.