HAVRE, Mont. (NMB) – A Hill County man has been given a six year deferred sentence after pleading guilty to felony criminal endangerment for allegedly engaging in a high-speed pursuit in March 2020.
Christopher Paul Hammond, who was 22 at the time, was sentenced Monday by Hill County District Court Judge Kaydee Snipes-Ruiz. He was also fined $10,000, although that will be suspended provided Hammond goes to inpatient treatment and continues in after care for the entirety of the sentence.
Hammond is hoping to receive a spot in the Rimrock Treatment Center in Billings within the next few months.
The State had recommended a five year sentence with the Department of Corrections, none suspended. Snipes-Ruiz said this was a lengthy recommendation for someone with no felonies on their record, and County Attorney Lacey Lincoln said she was unsure why the recommendation was made, as it was negotiated prior to her taking office.
The defense had recommended a three-year deferred sentence.
Hammond spoke briefly prior to the sentence being handed down, saying that the house arrest he is currently serving is not sustainable for him, as he can’t continue to pay for the monitoring bracelet and it is extremely difficult to put winter boots on while wearing it.
Hammond will no longer be subject to house arrest, but he is subject to numerous conditions.
Snipes-Ruiz told Hammond that he is truly at an inflection point, and he can get his life on track if he so chooses.
In the plea agreement, Hammond admitted to the following:
I voluntarily and intelligently admit that on or about March 16, 2021, in Hill County, Montana, I knowingly engaged in conduct which created a substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury to another.
Pursuant to the plea agreement, the felony criminal mischief count and misdemeanor charges of fleeing or eluding a Peace Officer and habitual offender operating a motor vehicle were dismissed.
According to court documents, Hammond engaged in a high-speed pursuit on March 16th that started in Havre and ended with his car causing damage to a planted field west of town.
