Lake County District Court news for May 23, 2012
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Judge C.B. McNeil dealt with the following cases Wednesday, May 16:
Randolph Nigg, 50, Dayton, was sentenced to the Department of Corrections for 20 years, 15 suspended, for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, fourth or subsequent offense, a felony.
According to court documents, the charge stems from a September 2011 incident where a Montana Highway Patrol Trooper responded to a report of a suspected drunk driver. The trooper was told that a black pickup truck had almost crashed into another vehicle near the corner of U.S. Highway 93 and Rigby Road in Lake County. When he ran the license plate number of the pickup, the trooper found it was registered to Nigg, whose driving history showed he had been convicted of seven prior DUIs. The trooper drove to Nigg’s registered address and saw the pickup turn into the driveway. The driver, Nigg, could not produce his license registration and insurance and smelled strongly of alcohol. Nigg failed one field sobriety test and couldn’t perform two others; a breath sample showed he had a blood alcohol content of .194.
Louis Camel, 34, Ronan, in a change of plea, admitted to driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, fourth or subsequent offense, a felony. He was found guilty, and sentencing was set for Wednesday, Nov. 7, at 9 a.m.
According to court documents, charges stem from a Feb. 25 incident where a Sheriff’s Deputy responded to a single vehicle crash on Mollman Pass Trail around 12:22 a.m. Camel, the driver, had been traveling eastbound and drifted off the right side of the road and into the ditch, where his vehicle was stuck. Camel’s breath smelled strongly of alchol, and he was slurring his speech and lost his balance as he exited the vehicle. He became agitated and refused to perform any of the field sobriety tests or provide a breath sample. After a search warrant for Camel’s blood was obtained, a sample was collected at the hospital and sent to the State Crime Lab. Camel’s driving record showed he had at least three prior DUI convictions.
John Graves, 24, Polson, was sentenced to the Department of Corrections for 10 years for theft, a felony, and 10 years for criminal mischief, a felony. The sentences are to run concurrently.
According to court documents, charges stem from an October 2011 incident where Graves stole a pickup truck in Missoula County and drove it into Lake County. The vehicle’s owner notified OnStar that his truck was stolen, and OnStar located the vehicle near Elmo. A Lake County Sheriff’s deputy found Graves driving the truck on Lake Mary Ronan Road and made a traffic stop. The deputy ordered Graves to step out of the vehicle, but he drove away at a high rate of speed, heading north on U.S. Highway 93. About a mile later, Graves turned off the road and drove through a field, hitting a barbed wire fence. OnStar disabled the vehicle, and Graves caused extensive damage to the inside of the truck while trying to restart it. Total damage to the vehicle exceeded $1,500.
Graves refused to exit the vehicle and said he wanted a cigarette. Officers eventually tricked him with tobacco products and were able to forcibly remove him from the vehicle.
