With their crimes behind them and rulings doled out by the Flathead County court system, a pair of teenage brothers from Hungry Horse are trying to move on with their lives.

James Smith, 13, was charged with seven felonies and 14 misdemeanors while Mathew Hauck, 15, was charged with four felonies and 12 misdemeanors for a string of crimes committed throughout the Canyon.

Smith eventually was sent to Pine Hills Youth Correctional Facility after admitting three of the felonies and six of the misdemeanors, while Hauck was placed on probation after admitting to committing two felonies and eight misdemeanors.

The troubled family history of the brothers came to light during Smith’s disposition hearing.

According to Dr. James Myers, a licensed professional counselor who testified on behalf of the defense, the boys’ mother was in and out of prison for years, largely for drug issues. Then in 2008 she showed up at the brothers’ grandmother’s home — where they were living — and took them both, moving to Ohio.

“They spent about 11 months in her care and in her stepfather’s care. During that time, his mother was an active addict, involved with drug dealers. James was threatened, himself, by drug dealers,” Myers said.

Eventually the boys were removed from the home by Child Protective Services and placed in foster care. After four months, their grandmother gained legal custody of the boys and brought them back to Montana, where she continued to care for them.

Both Smith and Hauck took responsibility for their crimes during their disposition hearings, apologizing for their actions.

“I just really didn’t think it through,” Smith said of his crimes. “And I was probably hanging out with the wrong kids.”

Smith apologized directly to one of his victims, who was in the courtroom at the time.

Hauck indicated that he understood the weight of his many crimes.

“I know my case is pretty severe,” Hauck said. “I thank my grandma and people for struggling through it with me. I have changed my ways.”

His attorney backed up his claim by explaining he had been doing better in school and had formed a student dodgeball team with the principal.

Flathead District Judge Katherine Curtis, who presided over both disposition hearings, had words for both boys.

To Smith, she commented on his fears of Pine Hills relayed through his attorney.

“I’ve sent kids to Pine Hills before, I’ve seen them come back from Pine Hills and do just fine,” Curtis said. “I hope that somehow or another you can get it into your mind that there are things you can benefit from at Pine Hills, because I truly believe that there are.”

She also wished him the best a judge can wish for a defendant.

“Good luck, I hope we don’t see you back here again,” Curtis said.

For Hauck, she also offered a hopeful sentiment.

“Get this put behind you,” she said. “There’s never going to be a better time or an easier time than right now.”

ON DEC. 21, 2012, Smith was remanded to the Montana Department of Corrections to be placed at Pine Hills until he turns 18 or until they determine he may be released, meaning he could stay there for 5 years.

He was also ordered to pay nearly $4,800 in restitution to victims, with assistance from other youths, including Hauck, who admitted participating in some of the crimes.

The judgment is the result of seven incidents between April 27, 2012, and June 6, 2012, in Martin City, Columbia Falls, Hungry Horse and the Helena Flats area. He was 12 years old at the time of the crimes.

According to court documents, Smith allegedly stole or was involved in the theft of a 1998 Mazda Protege; a van; an all-terrain vehicle; a dirt bike; “pocket rocket” motorcycle; several firearms including shotguns, rifles and pistols; Lortab tablets, Ambien pills, a Nintendo Wii, a Nintendo DSI, a laptop, a Nook e-reader, a DVD player; jewelry; a snowboard; a carton of cigarettes and two bicycles.

Some of the thefts involved burglaries where the participants broke into two homes. One of the homes was thoroughly ransacked and damaged. Smith also illegally entered one home in the middle of the night and was caught by the homeowner.

According to one court document, Smith blamed many of his actions on 16-year-old Kalispell resident Skyla Komeotis, who also allegedly was involved in several of the crimes.

Smith escaped from the Flathead County Juvenile Detention Center on Aug. 29, climbing ceiling struts in the recreation area, prying open a piece of metal and climbing down from the roof outside before stealing a bicycle and fleeing to Evergreen, where he was apprehended later that night.

ON DEC. 14, 2012, Hauck was placed on probation at least until the age of 18 and until either his 21st birthday or he satisfies all of his conditions, whichever comes first.

He also was placed on house arrest with a GPS monitor for 90 days and ordered to complete eight one-hour chemical dependency education sessions as well as 30 hours of community service per month until his probation is complete.

According to a court document in one of his three cases, Hauck allegedly hit a moving car with a rock on March 31, 2011, stole video games and a movie, was found in possession of cigarettes, alcohol and a marijuana pipe on Oct. 21, 2011, and stole a purse from a girl’s locker on Oct. 27, 2011.

He also allegedly stole a car on April 4, 2012, and abandoned it when it ran out of gas in Columbia Heights, and was present during the assault of another boy in Martin City. The assault was filmed on a cellphone, and in the background, a witness could be heard yelling “yeah, yeah, Canyon (expletive).” A deputy who viewed the video reported Hauck seemed to be the one doing most of the yelling.

In his second case, Hauck allegedly was involved in three crimes. On April 10, 2012, he is alleged to have stolen a wallet from a bar. On April 14, 2012, he allegedly broke into Canyon Elementary School with 16-year-old Daniel Trenk. And on April 29 he allegedly stole cigarettes and alcohol from a Super 1 Foods store with the help of Smith and Komeotis.

In his third case, Hauck, along with Smith and Komeotis, allegedly stole an all-terrain vehicle, several firearms and other items from a Martin City home and later a van from another location on April 29, 2012.

Reporter Jesse Davis may be contacted at 758-4441 or by email at jdavis@dailyinterlake.com.