Informational: Federal Court Arraignment

The United States Attorney's Office announced that during a federal court session in Great Falls, on June 18, 2013, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Keith Stron, the following individual was arraigned:

DUANE ANTONIO MARTELL, a 23-year-old resident of Poplar, appeared on charges of (2) counts of assault with a dangerous weapon and (1) count of assault resulting in serious bodily injury within the exterior boundaries of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. He is currently detained. If convicted of these charges, MARTELL faces possible penalties of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and 5 years supervised release on each count. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura B. Weiss is the prosecutor for the United States. The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Poplar Police Department.

The defendant pled not guilty to the charges.

The charge, an indictment, information or complaint, is merely an accusation and all persons named as defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. A pre-trial conference and a trial date will be set and the United States will be required to prove the allegations set forth in the indictment beyond a reasonable doubt.