District Court

Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024, 3rd Judicial District Court, Judge Ray J. Dayton presiding: 

• Larry Morris was given a two-year commitment to the Montana Department of Corrections for placement in an appropriate correctional facility or program with none of the time suspended after his two-year suspended sentence for a felony count of theft was revoked. 

According to the court's written judgment, the defendant was given the two-year suspended sentence on June 13, 2023 and on July 25, 2023 a warrant was issued for his arrest after the State of Montana filed a petition to revoke his suspended sentence. He was subsequently arrested on Feb. 6, 2024 and appeared before the court the following day where he denied allegations that he had violated the terms of his probation. At his appearance on Feb. 21, he admitted to the allegations and the state called Adult Probation and Parole Officer Ryan Campbell to testify. 

Campbell testified that on July 15, when there was an attempted home check of the defendant it was determined that he did not reside at the residence at which he had reported, which was purportedly at 312 W. 3rd St. in Anaconda. Campbell testified that the defendant had failed to check in for his scheduled appointment on July 15, that he had never checked in with him or provided him with a valid residence and the whereabouts of the defendant were unknown and he had absconded from probation, according to the judgment. 

Campbell testified that the defendant should not receive any credit for street time since he had provided an invalid address and had immediately failed to follow the probationary terms of his sentence. 

Campbell testified that the defendant "could not be safely supervised in the community as demonstrated by his immediate failure to comply with the most basic rules of probation," the judgment states, and he recommended sentencing to the Department of Corrections for appropriate placement.