Local man sentenced for U.S. 93 death
Chesco Richard Blood Man was sentenced in Lake County District Court on Nov. 6 for the U.S. 93 death of Billy James Cody on Oct. 27, 2018.
Found guilty of negligent homicide, Blood Man, 22, was sentenced to 20 years with the Department of Corrections, with 15 years suspended. He is also required to pay fees and restitution totaling $1,592.
At the sentencing, Cody’s wife, Stacy Hart, read an impassioned statement as to the hardships caused by her husband’s death.
Blood Man completed a treatment program for alcohol addiction prior to sentencing, and read a statement expressing his apologies and accepting blame.
In other court news:
•Sentencing for Richard Gordon was postponed until Nov.13 for the purpose of clarifying restitution. He is charged with felony theft and money laundering related to gold, coins and artwork stolen from a Polson storage unit. The total value of stolen items is estimated between $1 million and $2 million, most of which has not been recovered.
•Charges of felony burglary and felony theft against Jimmy Coy Clark, Jr., were dismissed without prejudice the week before a Nov. 11 trial date. Prosecuting attorneys Ben Anciaux and Steve Eschenbacher explained that the arresting officer indicated in a recent interview that it would be difficult to prove Clark had broken into the property, as it had been broken into “numerous” times. Also, Clark allegedly was not read his Miranda rights.
Judge James Manley admonished the prosecution that there is “no excuse for not finding out you don’t have a provable case over a five-month period” before the trial, and asked them to work to come up with a system to ensure that doesn’t continue to happen.
•A warrant was issued for the arrest of Luke Running Crane who failed to appear for a scheduled change of plea on three counts of felony sexual intercourse without consent.
•Shain Steffans appeared for not reporting to his parole officer on a sentence for negligent homicide from an incident in 2010 in which a vehicle he was driving went off a cliff in the dark, killing two passengers. Public Defender Eldena Bear Don’t Walk explained Steffans had been trying to “do the right thing” by getting help with addiction and had a bed date scheduled with a treatment facility when he was picked up on an old warrant on another case. Steffans was given credit for time served prior to being released on parole, and was committed to six years with Department of Corrections to run concurrent with a sentence from a case in another county.
•Wayne Jerome Buchanan pleaded guilty to a fourth or subsequent DUI and to a charge of bail jumping for failing to appear for an omnibus hearing May 15. Sentencing was scheduled for Jan. 8, 2020.
•William Baptiste Pierre will report to Idaho on extradition, then return to face a Lake County charge of assault with a weapon for allegedly pointing a loaded gun at a person.
•Juanita Marie Hawkins was released on her own recognizance after pleading guilty to felony possession of dangerous drugs. Sentencing was scheduled for Jan. 8, 2020.
•Veronica Engen Partida was committed to three years with the Department of Corrections intended to include addiction treatment, with credit for 72 days served, after pleading guilty to absconding from parole.
•Arraignment for James Stephen Deaton, on a charge of felony deliberate homicide in the shooting death of his son-in-law Oct. 8, was postponed pending an evaluation to determine whether the defendant is competent to understand the charges and proceedings.
•A request by counsel for Brayden A’Twen Cutfinger to be released from jail on his own recognizance with a drug patch and SCRAM alcohol monitoring bracelet was refused. Cutfinger is held on a felony negligent homicide charge related to a May 8 vehicle crash on Hillside Road east of Kicking Horse Reservoir.
•Charges were dismissed for Wade James Hendrickson who settled a bad check accusation by delivering a cashier’s check to the complainant’s counsel in court.