20th Judicial District Court News
BERL TISKUS | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 year, 6 months AGO
Reporter Berl Tiskus joined the Lake County Leader team in early March, and covers Ronan City Council, schools, ag and business. Berl grew up on a ranch in Wyoming and earned a degree in English education from MSU-Billings and a degree in elementary education from the University of Montana. Since moving to Polson three decades ago, she’s worked as a substitute teacher, a reporter for the Valley Journal and a secretary for Lake County Extension. Contact her at btiskus@leaderadvertiser.com or 406-883-4343. | May 11, 2023 12:00 AM
Claremont sentenced for family member assault, again
Adam James Clairmont appeared in Judge Molly Owens court for sentencing on May 3.
For an amended charge of felony criminal endangerment, Clairmont’s sentence was deferred for three years, and for misdemeanor family member assault, second offense, Clairmont was sentenced to 100 days in the Lake County Jail, with one day time served.
Court records indicate the judge was “somewhat troubled by the defendant's (Clairmont) behavior, blaming the victim, and his demeanor in court.” The sentences are to run concurrently.
The sentences stem from Clairmont’s arrest on Jan. 26 after Lake County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to an assault at a Pablo residence. The victim told deputies Clairmont had pushed her down during an argument, and she showed them a head injury she incurred.
Later that evening, the victim again contacted the Sheriff’s Department, and the call was referred to Tribal Law and Order. The victim reported that Clairmont had beaten her up, and took her phone away and smashed it so she couldn’t call 911. The victim’s two children, ages 6 and 4, ran to the neighboring house for help.
She said Clairmont also knocked her down and dragged her across the driveway and choked her until she couldn’t breathe. Officers noted drag marks on her back and finger marks on her neck.
Streets sentenced on bail jumping, drug possession
Judge Owen sentenced Patricia Ann Streets for four separate cases on May 3. Per a plea agreement, Streets was sentenced to a two-year deferred sentence for felony bail jumping, and she also received a two-year deferred sentence for felony criminal possession of a dangerous drug.
A felony burglary charge was dismissed, and Streets received a three-year sentence for felony bail jumping with all but 100 days served suspended. All of the sentences are to run concurrently, under jurisdiction of Adult Probation and Parole.
The long saga stemmed from Sept. 11, 2016, when a Ronan resident reported that someone had been in his home and took three weapons from the house. The man suspected Streets because he and Streets had been in a relationship, she had a key to the house, and she knew about the weapons. There was no sign of a forced entry, and only the weapons had been taken.
Streets was not allowed in the residence without his permission, which she did not have. The homeowner said Streets was homeless and using methamphetamine, and she probably had sold the guns to buy drugs.
At an altercation in Ronan the same day, officers arrested three men and in their vehicle found the three weapons reported missing from the homeowner. One of the men said Streets had traded him the guns for methamphetamine, but her whereabouts were unknown.
Streets was charged with one charge of felony burglary and the state requested a $25,000 warrant for her arrest. She was arrested on Oct.3, 2016, and on Oct. 19, was released on her own recognizance. Two omnibus hearings and two trial dates were set.
Streets did not show up for the omnibus hearing and a warrant was issued for her arrest. She was charged with felony bail jumping plus the original charge of felony burglary. She made a plea agreement to plead guilty to bail jumping and the burglary charge would be dropped.
Streets, who was 30 weeks pregnant at the time, did not show up for sentencing on May 24, 2017, and a warrant was again issued for her arrest.
In the meantime, Streets was arrested and charged with felony possession of dangerous drugs, methamphetamine, and pleaded not guilty. She was scheduled for a March 30, 2022, omnibus hearing for both felony bail jumping and felony possession of dangerous drugs but failed to show. A warrant was issued for her on April 27, 2022, but the warrant was not served on her until Jan. 24, 2023.
Begs His Own faces revocation proceedings
Judge Owen appointed the Office of Public Defender to represent Mariah Jewel Begs His Own on three cases, two of felony criminal possession of dangerous drugs and one on revocation proceedings for felony possession of dangerous drugs.
Begs His Own is to discuss with her attorney that two of the three cases originated while the judge was a prosecutor at the Lake County Attorney’s Office. Judge Owen continued the matter until May 10.
On May 24, 2022, a law enforcement officer responded to a call that Begs His Own was yelling at her grandmother and would not leave her residence.She was belligerent to the officer and refused several opportunities to leave the residence or just calm down so the officer arrested her for disorderly conduct.
Since Begs His Own was on felony probation and a probation officer requested a search of her bedroom at the residence, the officer searched it and found numerous pipes, syringes, scoopers, tooters, other paraphernalia, and a bag containing methamphetamine residue, verified by the Montana State Crime Laboratory. She was arrested and charged with felony criminal possession of dangerous drugs
Another case against Begs His Own began on Nov. 20, 2022, when a law enforcement officer saw her at the Town Pump in Ronan. Knowing she had an active warrant out for her arrest, the officer arrested her and during the search, found a glass tube with residue in it in her pocket The residue was identified as methamphetamine by the Montana State Crime Laboratory.
Begs His Own also had a warrant out on her for revocation proceedings for felony criminal possession of dangerous drugs from a 2017 case.