Drug case drags out for Creston woman

A woman facing jail time over a marijuana grow operation found after a 7-year-old Creston girl was violently attacked by four American bulldogs still has not made it past the arraignment phase more than 15 months later.

The attack, which left the girl with extensive injuries, took place on Dec. 31, 2011, outside a home occupied by 25-year-old Rachael Clarke as well as Timothy Standiford. During an investigation police located 71 marijuana plants in various stages of growth as well as related equipment in a shed on the property in Creston.

Clarke was charged the following February with felony criminal manufacture of dangerous drugs, as were Standiford and Jonathon Banonis, who owned the property where Clarke and Standiford were living and whose daughter was the victim of the dog attack.

On March 29, 2012, Clarke pleaded not guilty to her charge. However, her charge was amended last June to felony criminal possession of dangerous drugs and misdemeanor negligent endangerment. An arraignment on the lesser charges was set for Sept. 13, 2012.

That hearing was continued in Flathead District Court four times to dates including Sept. 27, 2012, Oct. 25, 2012, Feb. 28 of this year, and, most recently, March 28.

So now, roughly 460 days after the discovery of the illegal drug operation, Clarke has yet to enter a plea to her current charges, and despite not appearing in March, no bench warrant has been issued nor has one been requested.

A new date for the arraignment hearing has not yet been scheduled.

If convicted of both charges, Clarke faces up to six years in prison and a fine of up to $51,000. Her original charge carried a possible penalty of between two years and life in prison and a fine of up to $50,000.

Standiford’s charge was amended to the same two charges Clarke now faces, and he eventually pleaded guilty only to misdemeanor negligent endangerment. He was given a one-year suspended sentence last July by District Judge Stewart Stadler.

Banonis pleaded guilty to his charge and was given a five-year deferred sentence Sept. 13, 2012, also by Judge Stadler.