Libby man hit with $50,000 bench warrant

A Libby man is facing a $50,000 bench warrant after he failed to appear in court on Monday.

Robert James Taylor was arrested in June for criminal possession of dangerous drugs and criminal possession of drug paraphernalia. He was due for a pretrial conference before Montana 19th Judicial District Court Judge James Wheelis Monday, but failed to appear.

According to the narrative attached to the affidavit of probable cause, Taylor was arrested after a Libby police officer noticed him backing his van into a parking space by a local convenience store. The officer, Patrol Sergeant Darren Short, knew that Taylor had a suspended license, and upon confirmation with dispatch, pursued Taylor into a local casino, where Taylor entered a restroom stall.

Short said he asked Taylor to come out of the stall and talk to him. When came out of the stall to wash his hands, Short wrote he saw Taylor pull an object out of his pocket as he was wiping his hands with a paper towel. After Taylor wiped his hands, he threw both the paper towel and the object into the trashcan.

Short arrested Taylor for driving with a suspended license and an expired vehicle registration.

Short then examined the contents of the trash can, finding the object that Taylor had thrown away, which he identified as a glass pipe used for smoking drugs.

The pipe was tested and determined to have contained methamphetamine.

As a result of the discovery, Taylor was charged with criminal possession of dangerous drugs and criminal possession of drug paraphernalia. If convicted, the penalty for Taylor’s alleged crimes is a fine of up to $50,000, imprisonment for up to five years or both for the drugs, and a fine of up to $500, imprisonment for up to six months or both for the paraphernalia. 

Taylor was arraigned Jun. 22, at which time Justice of the Peace Jay Sheffield set bail at $2,500. Taylor pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Despite defense attorney William Managhan’s request for one week for the defendant to appear, Judge James Wheelis set a deadline of noon Monday, at which time he stated he would not be bound to accept any plea agreement between Taylor and the prosecutors. When Taylor failed to meet Wheelis’ deadline, the judge issued a bench warrant for Taylor’s arrest. Upon his arrest, Taylor will be admitted to bail at $50,000.