Courts

Stories by Jeff Smith of Anderson Broadcasting for the Valley Journal

Hoyland-Burrington sentenced to five years all suspended

POLSON — A Somers woman was committed at District Court in Polson on April 13 to the Montana Department of Corrections for 5 years, all suspended, after pleading guilty to the operation of a non-commercial vehicle by a person with an alcohol concentration of 0.08 or more, fourth or subsequent. The plea was entered as part of an agreement for Brooke Anna Hovland-Burrington, 40, that dismisses one count of felony criminal endangerment and misdemeanor charges of fleeing from or eluding a peace officer and obstructing.

According to charging documents on June 14, Lake County emergency dispatchers received a report of a possibly impaired driver headed south bound on U.S. Highway 93 into Polson. Polson Police located the suspect vehicle in an alley off Main Street. The suspect vehicle traveled the alley ways of Polson without stopping before getting trapped by police at a dead end on 11th Ave W. The suspect vehicle allegedly drove into one of the officer’s patrol unit. When the driver, later identified as Hovland-Burrington, finally obeyed orders to exit the vehicle, she “stumbled and reeked of alcohol.” Police had to obtain a search warrant for a blood draw from Hovland-Burrington.

In handing down the sentence, Judge James Manley praised Hovland-Burrington for going “above and beyond what we asked of you” since she was arrested. He also ordered Hovland-Burrington to comBrook Howland- plete Lake County’s drug

Burrington court and suspended a $5,000 fine.

Thomas pleads not guilty to assault

POLSON — A Ronan man is accused of assaulting his girlfriend and scaring her to the point she sought safety at the hospital. Sidney Adams Thomas, 43, entered a plea of not guilty at District Court in Polson on April 13 to partner or family member assault, third or subsequent, felony.

According to court records, on March 28, staff at St. Luke Hospital in Ronan reported that a woman came to the emergency room requesting help at 4:33 a.m. Deputies with the Lake County Sheriff’s office responded and spoke with the staff member who indicated the woman had been assaulted by her boyfriend, Thomas, two weeks prior and that she went to the hospital to hide from him. The woman told the responding deputies that her boyfriend was really drunk and began arguing with her. She feared he would assault her again, and that’s why she had sought refuge at the hospital. She told the deputies that things were getting progressively worse between them, so she went for a walk. She said when she returned Thomas yelled at her “where the hell have you been, b****?” This scared the woman, so she decided to just keep walking the streets before going to St. Luke’s emergency room.

The deputies then questioned Thomas who called the woman “a f***ing cry baby b****” and a “f***ing sniveling c***.” The deputies inquired as to whether or not Thomas knew the woman was scared of him, to which he replied “I don’t give a f***, dude. I’m a scary mother f***er period. All the time.”

Records show Thomas has two prior convictions for PFMA, making a third a felony.

Judge James Manley set a trial date of Sept. 19.

Sidney Thomas

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