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criminal justice

Man faces felony charges after Seeley Lake standoff that drew SWAT response

A man was booked into the Missoula County Detention Center just before midnight on Monday on three felony charges relating to a standoff incident in Seeley Lake that drew a large law enforcement response, including the Missoula SWAT Team. Benji Joe Allen, 49, is facing felony charges of aggravated assault,

Man accused of threatening woman on hiking trail

A woman walking on a trail in the Big Sky area encountered a stranger who told her he would remove her from the Earth and take her soul, according to allegations filed in county justice court. The accused, 36-year-old Matthew Lawrence Stern, was arrested on June 15 following

Supreme Court to hear jury limits, disability cases

(The Center Square) – The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday agreed to take up cases on intellectual disability in death sentences and limits on the number of jurors. Justices on the high court are expected to hear the cases in the fall and release decisions for each in 2027. One

Supreme Court to hear immigrant detention case

Supreme Court to hear immigrant detention case

(The Center Square) – The U.S. Supreme Court agreed on Monday to take up a case on whether the government can detain certain immigrants who are convicted of committing a crime for prolonged periods. The court agreed to take up Genalo v. Black and Jennings v. Rodriguez, two cases that

Polson man sentenced to 50 years for murder over inheritance

Polson man sentenced to 50 years for murder over inheritance

A Polson man who killed a Ronan resident in 2024 over an inheritance dispute was sentenced to 50 years in prison Friday. James Lawrence, 71, appeared for sentencing before Judge Molly Owen and a packed gallery in Lake County District Court on Friday morning for one count of deliberate homicide

Missoula man sentenced to 20 years in prison for raping teenagers

A Missoula judge sentenced a 20-year-old Missoula man to 20 years in the Montana State Prison on Thursday for raping several teenagers over the span of six years. Dawson Barry Simmons initially faced 11 sexual intercourse without consent charges in two separate cases when he was 17 and

Man pleads guilty in killings of Minnesota House speaker, husband

(The Center Square) — A Minnesota man has pleaded guilty to killing Minnesota House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark. Vance Boelter appeared in federal court Thursday and changed his plea to guilty in connection with the June 2025 attacks. He also pleaded guilty to shooting state Sen. John