Libby woman returned to jail after probation violations

A Libby woman who pleaded guilty two years ago to threatening her husband with a knife in front of their son is in custody after she failed to follow her probation orders.

Amanda Jo Hammers, 40, pleaded guilty to an amended charge of misdemeanor partner or family member assault in Lincoln County District Court Sept. 12, 2022, in front of Judge Matt Cuffe.

Hammers was in front of Cuffe Aug. 27, 2024, for a revocation hearing because she failed to complete 40 hours of anger management counseling and get a chemical dependency evaluation.

Hammers became emotional and cried when Cuffe ordered her back to jail.

“This needs to be done. I’m content to let you sit in jail, but I realize the (state) Legislature wants certain things done in partner/family member assault cases,” Cuffe said.

Hammers was first charged with felony assault with a weapon following an Aug. 15, 2022, incident in which she was accused of threatening her husband with a knife.

In a probable cause statement filed by Libby Police Officer Ronald Buckner, he wrote that he met with the victim at about 7:12 p.m. on Aug. 15 at the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office. The husband said their child was present when Hammers accused him of writing on her pool float tube. He responded that there was no writing on her float tube and that it was imaginary.

He said Hammers became enraged, ran into the kitchen and grabbed a large butcher knife and pointed it at him while threatening to stab him.

Following Lincoln County Deputy Attorney Jeffrey Zwang’s recommendation, Hammers received a 1-year suspended sentence in the county jail with credit for time she already served.

According to terms of the plea deal, Hammers was ordered to get evaluations for mental health and chemical dependency, follow all treatment plans, not possess or consume alcohol or drugs and have no contact with the victim or their son.

Cuffe resentenced Hammers to 365 days, with credit for 227 days, including 25 days in custody and 192 for good street time, and ordered to complete the counseling.

“This is not fair to the victims or you, but you lied to me last week,” Cuffe said.

Hammers’ attorney, public defender Scott B. Johnson, said his client had been having difficulty because of some of the other cases she was dealing with, including a divorce, child custody and having no place to live.

Hammers apologized and said she did have an evaluation done on Aug. 26. She also said the closure of Many Waters, a treatment facility and the rotation of therapists, caused her troubles.

Johnson said it was his understanding that’s she’s done some mental health treatment.

Hammers had a protection order against her following the 2022 incident. In the petition for it, her husband wrote that “she has delusional thoughts of me cheating and she broke my windshield. She also attacked me, some of which our son witnessed.”

According to court records, in 2009, another man sought a protection order for his daughter against Hammers.

Part of Hammer’s conditions of release include not possessing any weapons, using illegal drugs or alcohol and submitting to testing for those substances.

She is also not allowed to have any contact with the victim or any witnesses.