State v. Collier

919 P.2d 376, 277 Mont. 46, 53 State Rptr. 534, 1996 Mont. LEXIS 111
CourtMontana Supreme Court
DecidedJune 20, 1996
Docket95-194
StatusPublished
Cited by53 cases

This text of 919 P.2d 376 (State v. Collier) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Montana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Collier, 919 P.2d 376, 277 Mont. 46, 53 State Rptr. 534, 1996 Mont. LEXIS 111 (Mo. 1996).

Opinions

[50]*50JUSTICE NELSON

delivered the Opinion of the Court.

Mary-Helen Collier was charged by information in the Eighth Judicial District Court, Cascade County, with solicitation of deliberate homicide. Pursuant to a plea agreement, Collier pleaded guilty to an amended charge of criminal endangerment. She was sentenced to eight years in the Women’s Correctional Facility and designated a dangerous offender for purposes of parole eligibility. Collier appeals her sentence and the District Court’s order denying her Motion to Dismiss for Lack of a Speedy Trial. We affirm.

Collier raises the following issues on appeal:

1. Did the District Court err in failing to dismiss the matter for lack of a speedy trial?

2. Did the District Court err in designating Collier a dangerous offender?

3. Did the District Court err in failing to find that Collier was unable to appreciate the criminality of her conduct?

4. Did the District Court err in ordering Collier to pay restitution?

5. Did the District Court err in permitting the County Attorney to argue facts at sentencing supporting the original charge of solicitation of deliberate homicide?

6. Did the District Court err in failing to release Collier or transfer her to a different detention facility due to conditions at the Cascade County jail?

Factual and Procedural Background

On September 27, 1993, Bridget Fackrell reported to the Great Falls Police Department that Collier had attempted to hire Fackrell and another individual to kill Collier’s ex-husband, Evan Danno. Fackrell claimed that several months earlier, while she and Collier roomed together, Collier repeatedly stated that she wished to have Danno killed so that she could be rid of him.

In early September, prior to her report to the police, Fackrell travelled to Idaho to attend a funeral. She returned to Great Falls with two friends, Travis Moreland and Carlton Taylor. When Fackrell told Moreland and Taylor of Collier’s desire to have Danno killed, Moreland suggested that they agree to do the job, take Collier’s money, then warn Danno of Collier’s plan.

Fackrell arranged a meeting between Collier, Moreland and Taylor wherein the parties agreed that Moreland would kill Danno as soon as Collier could arrange to be out of town with the children. Collier [51]*51had recently moved back into Danno’s home where she was residing with Danno and their two daughters. The plan called for Moreland to enter Danno’s home early one morning while Collier and the children were away, kill Danno and make it look as though there had been a burglary. Collier agreed to pay Moreland $1500 to kill Danno.

A few days after the meeting, Collier informed Fackrell that she would be attending her uncle’s funeral in Kalispell and that she wanted Danno killed while she and the children were gone. Prior to leaving town, Collier gave Fackrell a key to Danno’s house, a personal check for $250, Collier’s instant cash card, the security code to allow access to her account and instructions to withdraw $500 from the account. Collier had previously given Moreland a picture of Danno. Fackrell turned all of these items over to the authorities when she informed them of Collier’s plan.

Collier was arrested in Kalispell on September 30,1993. She was transferred to the Cascade Countyjail the following day and charged with solicitation of deliberate homicide, a felony, as specified in §§ 45-4-101 and 45-5-102(l)(a), MCA (1991). Her bail was set at $250,000.

The District Court determined that Collier was indigent and appointed Billy Miller, an attorney under contract to the Cascade County Public Defender’s Office, to represent her. At her October 19, 1993 arraignment, Collier entered a plea of not guilty and the first of several trial dates was set. Over the next few months, several motions for reduction of bail were filed but each was denied by the District Court. Collier was unable to post bail and she remained in the Cascade Countyjail from October 1,1993, until after her sentencing on January 13,1995.

On December 6, 1993, Miller filed a motion in District Court to vacate and reset the trial date to allow him additional time to prepare Collier’s defense. The District Court granted the motion and a second trial date was set. On December 14, 1993, Miller requested that the public defender’s office appoint new counsel for Collier as Miller intended to leave his public defender position at the end of the year. The court appointed Marvin Anderson, also under contract to the public defender’s office, to represent Collier.

Anderson filed a motion on February 8,1994, requesting a psychiatric evaluation for Collier. However, in a handwritten letter addressed to the District Court Judge, Collier objected to a transfer to Montana State Hospital at Warm Springs for the evaluation. Anderson withdrew the motion a few days later. The District Court Judge [52]*52received another handwritten letter from Collier on April 12, 1994, in which she complained of inadequate representation by counsel and requested that her trial be delayed.

On April 22, 1994, Anderson filed a motion for a psychiatric evaluation of Collier to be performed in Great Falls. The District Court granted the motion the same day. However, a few days later, Collier agreed instead to undergo a psychiatric evaluation at Montana State Hospital at Warm Springs.

Collier and nine other individuals filed a petition in federal district court to intervene in an action regarding the public defender system in Cascade County. On April 25,1994, Anderson filed a motion with the court to continue the trial due to a scheduling conflict with Collier’s civil case. The District Court granted Anderson’s motion and the trial date was again reset.

On May 16,1994, the chief public defender in Cascade County filed a motion to withdraw the public defender’s office from representation of Collier and the nine other individuals who had petitioned the federal court for intervention. Two days later, an attorney independent of the public defender’s office was appointed to represent Collier and trial was reset by order of the court. The County Attorney filed a motion on June 17, 1994, to reschedule the trial as the scheduled date fell on a Thursday. This motion was granted and trial was subsequently rescheduled.

Collier’s attorney filed several motions on June 29,1994, including a motion to dismiss the charge for lack of a speedy trial and a motion to release or transfer Collier from the Cascade County jail as the jail did not meet state standards. In addition a motion was filed on August 10,1994, for authorization to hire an investigator and a psychologist. On September 21, 1994, the District Court, without a hearing, authorized Collier’s counsel to incur up to $2000 in professional and investigative services.

The District Court scheduled a hearing for August 5,1994, on the motion to dismiss for lack of a speedy trial and the motion to release or transfer Collier. This hearing was postponed until October 7,1994. After hearing testimony, the District Court denied both motions.

Collier’s attorney filed a motion on October 3, 1994, to transport Collier to Missoula for another psychiatric evaluation. The court granted the motion the same day.

On October 20, 1994, the State requested a continuance and the trial date was once again reset.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

State v. L. Barrus
2025 MT 183 (Montana Supreme Court, 2025)
State v. R. Soria
2022 MT 117N (Montana Supreme Court, 2022)
State v. C. Wright
2020 MT 229N (Montana Supreme Court, 2020)
State v. Kurtz
2019 MT 127 (Montana Supreme Court, 2019)
State v. Coburn
2018 MT 246 (Montana Supreme Court, 2018)
State v. J. Lafield
2017 MT 312 (Montana Supreme Court, 2017)
City of Polson v. v. Lovato
2017 MT 243N (Montana Supreme Court, 2017)
State v. R. Otto
2017 MT 212 (Montana Supreme Court, 2017)
Matter of D.G.J. a Youth
2015 MT 347N (Montana Supreme Court, 2015)
State v. Aragon
2014 MT 89 (Montana Supreme Court, 2014)
State v. Simmons
2011 MT 264 (Montana Supreme Court, 2011)
State v. Morris
2010 MT 259 (Montana Supreme Court, 2010)
State v. Pavey
2010 MT 104 (Montana Supreme Court, 2010)
Driver v. Sentence Review Division in Supreme Court
2010 MT 43 (Montana Supreme Court, 2010)
Jerel Driver v. Sentence Re
2010 MT 43 (Montana Supreme Court, 2010)
State v. Hill
2009 MT 134 (Montana Supreme Court, 2009)
State v. Rose
2009 MT 4 (Montana Supreme Court, 2009)
State v. Alvin Duncan
2008 MT 148 (Montana Supreme Court, 2008)
State v. Ariegwe
2007 MT 204 (Montana Supreme Court, 2007)
State v. Rennaker
2007 MT 10 (Montana Supreme Court, 2007)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
919 P.2d 376, 277 Mont. 46, 53 State Rptr. 534, 1996 Mont. LEXIS 111, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-collier-mont-1996.