Dan Wilson: Easy on violent offenders
As a judge, Dan Wilson let violent offenders and dangerous abusers back into the community — at least one was charged with the same violent crime again.
Dan Wilson’s bad judgement led to him going easy on violent offenders, putting them back into our neighborhoods and communities time and again.
Wilson allowed a man convicted of Felony Arson to walk away with a fully suspended sentence even though he could have spent 20 years in prison and fined $50,000. The convicted arsonist was seen setting a “big fire” that was “about a quarter of an acre in size” and another fire “near the U.S. Post Office” and a “utility pole.” The man is also a registered sex offender who was convicted of sexual assault of a 13-year-old girl. (State of Montana v. Lakota Caleb Jerald Treat, Judgment and Sentence document 08/22/23; Amended Information document, 08/24/22)
Dan Wilson allowed a violent, convicted felon to be released without jail time after pleading guilty to the felony of “Strangulation of Partner or Family Member.” That person was later charged with the same offense, accused of strangling and assaulting his wife while on the suspended sentence Wilson gave him. (State of Montana v. Clayton Earl Dryden, Judgment and Sentence document 03/08/22, Information (charging) document 11/04/21; Montana Department of Corrections Adult Probation and Parole, Report of Violation Clayton Earl Dryden, 01/13/23)
Wilson allowed a man to be released on his own recognizance after he fired two shots from his truck outside the family home, with his wife and children nearby, while intoxicated. The man pleaded guilty to criminal endangerment. (Daily Inter Lake, 08/16/20)
Dan Wilson: Keeping Sex Offenders Out of Jail
Dan Wilson is dangerous for Montana. Judge Wilson took it easy on sex offenders, putting Montana communities at risk.
Dan Wilson gave a deferred sentence to a man convicted of sexual assault. Wilson’s light sentence came even though the defendant had originally been charged with a more serious felony.
Judge Dan Wilson deferred the sentence of a man for the crime of sexual assault despite the offenders guilty plea. He had been charged with having “knowingly subjected another person to sexual contact without consent.”
The offender had originally been charged with “Sexual Intercourse Without Consent, a Felony” before the charges were amended. (State of Montana v. Jacob Albert May, Judgment and Sentence document, 08/02/22, Information (charging) document 11/26/21, Amended Information document, 07/28/22)
Wilson allowed a man previously convicted of sexual assault to receive no additional jail time for failing to register as a sex offender. Wilson allowed the man to receive no additional jail time despite the police having no idea where he was and having to ask the public for assistance in finding him.
In August 2019, Wilson gave a convicted sex offender no jail time for failing to register with the state of Montana. The convicted sex offender was found guilty of “Failure to Register as a Sexual or Violent Offender, a Felony.”
The sex offender’s whereabouts in Montana were unknown for a period of time and local authorities asked the general public for assistance in finding him. He was previously convicted of sexual assault and sentenced in 1989. (KPAX.com, 10/12/18; U.S. Department of Justice, National Sex Offender Public Website/Montana Sexual or Violent Offender Registry, Micky Gene Hansen profile, accessed 05/08/24)
Overlooking possible danger to the community, Judge Wilson only sentenced him to be “committed to the Department of Corrections for 2 year(s) with 2 year(s) suspended” – meaning no immediate jail time. According to the charging document, Hansen faced up to 5 years in prison. (State of Montana v. Mickey Gene Hansen, Information (charging) document, 10/02/18, Judgment and Sentence document, 08/23/19)