courts Stories by Jeff Smith of Anderson Broadcasting for the Valley Journal
Wilson sentenced to time suspended POLSON — A Polson man who was accused of assaulting a partner or family member will avoid any more jail time if he can stay out of trouble for the next five years. Christian Lee Wilson, 24, entered a plea of guilty at District Court in Polson on Jan. 26 to the amended charge of felony criminal endangerment. He was initially charged with felony strangulation of a partner or family member, and violation of a no contact order. Judge James Manley committed Wilson to the Montana Department of Corrections for five years with all that time suspended. The charge of violation of a no contact order was dismissed during the March 23 sentencing
hearing. According to court records, on Nov. 14, Polson police responded to a 911 call regarding a woman seen crying and saying she couldn’t breathe. The person calling also reported that they had witnessed a man come out and slap the crying woman before taking her back inside. Upon arrival, officers could hear arguing from the suspected apartment. They then encountered the alleged victim, “Jane Doe,” who was crying. Upon entering the apartment, the officers found Wilson attempting to hide under a bed. Both officers were aware of a no contact order prohibiting Wilson from seeing “Jane Doe.” The alleged victim went on
to state that she had wanted to attend her sister’s birthday party, but Wilson refused to let her leave. She said he grabbed her by the throat and slammed her onto a table. Wilson is also accused of putting his hand over her nose and mouth, preventing her from breathing for a couple seconds. The alleged victim said she scratched Wilson to get him to stop. She said she was aware of the no contact order, but they loved each other. Both stated they wanted to marry and have children, according to the charging document. Judge Manley gave Wilson credit for having already served 73 days in jail. Wilson was also ordered to attend up to 40 hours of counseling.
Charlo pleads not guilty to possession POLSON — A Polson woman is accused of dealing multiple drugs in Lake County. Rayona Marie Charlo, 18, entered a plea of not guilty at District Court in Polson on March 23 to three counts of criminal possession with intent to distribute. According to court records, on Feb. 21, a law enforcement officer who specializes Rayona Charlo in combating the local drug trade observed a man and woman walking along a road. The man was known by the officer to be wanted on an outstanding warrant and he
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was arrested. When the officer questioned the woman, later identified as Charlo, she admitted to possessing a “loc,” which the officer knew was street slang for a pipe. After handing over the pipe and being read her rights, Charlo admitted to possessing a gun in a backpack. She said she also was in possession of “some dark, some dope, and some blues.” The officer searched the backpack and located a 9mm glock handgun, 11 pieces of tinfoil containing heroin, two baggies of meth, seven and a half blue counterfeit fentanyl pills with the M-30 stamp, a digital scale, and $846 in cash. Judge James Manley set a trial date of Aug. 1. Valley Journal
Whitworth sentenced for vehicular homicide POLSON — A Polson woman was sentenced at District Court in Polson on March 24 to the Montana State Women’s Prison for 30 years with 20 years suspended for running over and killing another woman on Halloween. Sharon Lynn Whitworth, Sharon Whitworth 56, pleaded guilty to one count of vehicular homicide while under the influence on Feb. 3. Prosecutor James Lapotka was asking for 20 years prison with 10 years suspended, while the defense was seeking 15 years with 10 years suspended. According to court records, on Oct. 31, 2021, Lake County Sheriff ’s Deputy Jim Atkins responded to a report of a vehicle versus pedestrian on Huckleberry Lane southeast of Polson. Upon arriving, Deputy Atkins discovered a silver Cadillac with a deceased person underneath it next to a driveway, and a man bleeding from his face. The bleeding man told Atkins that he had just finished dinner when he heard dogs begin to bark and noticed a car driving through a field across the street from his house. He said his mother, Tonya Charles, 63, went out-
side and called law enforcement to report a possible drunk driver. The suspected drunk driver was acting impaired and yelling inside her Cadillac. Charles attempted to take a picture of the suspected drunk driver, and the driver accelerated over a gate and ran over Charles. The car kept going and dragged the victim across the driveway and pinned her under the Cadillac. Tonya’s son attempted to reach into the window of the Cadillac to remove the keys from the ignition and the driver, later identified as Whitworth, punched him, causing him to bleed from his face. The son ran to his garage and retrieved a car jack in an attempt to lift the Cadillac off his mother, but Tonya Charles died of her injuries. A neighbor also witnessed the incident and corroborated the son’s version of events. Whitworth refused to participate in field sobriety tests. Law enforcement obtained a search warrant to obtain a blood draw. When interviewed by law enforcement, Whitworth allegedly admitted to drinking a lot that day. When asked by Lake County Sheriff ’s Detective Devon McCrea “on a scale of one to ten with ten being the highest, how intoxicated were see page 9
