Montana Woman Sentenced in District Court for Felony DUI

A sentencing hearing was held Thursday in Fourth Judicial District Court in Sheridan for a Montana woman charged with Felony DUI. Sheridan Media’s Ron Richter has the details.

On July 20, 2021, Ronette Anderson crashed the vehicle she was driving into a tree on Parkman Road in Sheridan County. The crash resulted in injuries to all four of the vehicle’s occupants. One of the individuals was life-flighted to Billings where surgery was performed to insert a compression plate and two screws for a broken arm. Anderson was arrested and charged with felony DUI – causing serious bodily injury. Anderson, at a change of plea hearing in December, pleaded guilty to the charge pursuant to a plea agreement that was reached with the state. District Court Judge William Edelman, at a hearing Thursday, accepted the terms of the plea deal and sentenced Anderson to  3 to 6 years in prison, suspended in lieu of a split-sentence of 198 days she’s served of presentence confinement and three years of supervised probation. Anderson was also ordered to pay $565 in various court costs and $500 in attorney fees.

Sheridan County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Christopher LaRosa said the plea agreement was less stringent than usual for this type of a crime because the victims were not cooperative at all with the State’s case against the defendant.