Lake County District Court news for Apr. 25, 2012
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Judge C.B. McNeil dealt with the following cases Wednesday, April 18:
Arnold McDonald, 53, St. Ignatius, was sentenced to the Lake County Jail for six months, all suspended but five days, for the amended offense of partner or family member assault, a misdemeanor, and to the Department of Corrections for five years, all suspended, for tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, a felony. The sentences are to run concurrently, and the five days of jail must be completed within 90 days of sentencing.
According to court documents, charges stem from an October 2011 incident where officers responded to a possible domestic assault, and the victim said McDonald had held a gun to her head. In a search of the house, officers found a rifle hidden in a crawl space under the house. When McDonald realized the victim had called police, he apologized to her and told her to tell police that he had pointed a stick at her head, as he wasn’t supposed to have a gun. McDonald admitted that he hid the rifle.
Dorene Bourdon, 42, Polson, had her 2009 suspended sentence for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, fourth or subsequent offense, a felony, revoked and was sentenced to the Department of Corrections for three years. She will receive credit for all time served while in custody.
According to court documents, Bourdon violated her probation when she tested positive for methamphetamine in March. Bourdon's probation officer stated that she had continued to use drugs and alcohol after completing the WATCh program in November 2009.
Jack Whaling, 20, Polson, was ordered to pay $500 in restitution and to serve 60 days in the Lake County Jail within six months, and the court deferred imposition of sentence for three years for attempt (theft), a felony.
According to court documents, charges stem from an Aug. 11, 2011, incident where a person called the Lake County Sheriff’s Office to report an extortion attempt. The caller provided an anonymous note that threatened to publish a video of the caller engaged in sexual activity unless the caller left $10,000 cash at a described location in Lake County. Along with the letter was a thumb drive containing a copy of the video referred to in the letter. The caller explained that the video had been stored on a video recorder that was stolen from his home during a burglary several years earlier. The caller did not know who the suspects might be.
A Lake County Sheriff’s Detective prepared a bag containing primarily fake bills covered by real U.S. currency, and on Aug. 17, officers set up surveillance and the caller dropped the bag at the described place. Four and a half hours later, detectives observed two males arrive at the location and retrieve the bag. When a detective identified himself, the males ran from the scene. Officers apprehended one of the males, who identified the other male as Whaling and told the detectives that Whaling had probably run back to his parents’ house.
