Siblings appear in District Court

by Annie Wooden

Siblings from the Hot Springs area made their initial appearance in court on Tuesday after an incident last month in which one of the defendants allegedly tried to bite a Sanders County Sheriff’s Office deputy.

Landon Clark entered not guilty pleas to felony criminal endangerment and misdemeanor disorderly conduct and obstructing a police officer. His sister, Kellie Beggs, pleaded not guilty to five charges, including felony criminal endangerment and attempted assault on a police officer, and misdemeanor charges of resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, criminal mischief and assault with bodily fluid.

According to charging documents, Beggs and Clark were arrested Oct. 23 along Highway 28 after 911 calls of a car along the highway with its emergency flashers on and reports of people standing in the middle of the road and harrassing people.

When officers responded, Beggs was allegedly yelling and ran back into the roadway and Clark ran into a field. Beggs also reportedly kicked windows from inside the patrol car and atttempted to bite the deputy’s face and spit on the deputy’s face.

“We’re not bad people, we’re just having a hard time,” Beggs said at her arraignment Tuesday.

Clark was released on his own recognizance, and Beggs remains in the Sanders County Jail.

Also in District Court Tuesday, a Trout Creek man received a deferred sentence for assault charges stemming from an incident in December 2016. Kelly Fisher was found guilty of felony assault of a minor and misdemeanor partner or family member assault.

Judge James Manley imposed a three-year deferred sentence for Fisher on the felony charge, and 27 days in the Sanders County jail for the misdemeanor. Fisher has served 63 days in jail.