The United States Attorney's Office announced that during a federal court session in Great Falls, on Aug. 15, 2013, before Chief U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen, JOURDEN ST. MARKS, a 23-year-old resident of the Rocky Boy's Reservation and an enrolled member of the federally recognized Chippewa Cree Indian Tribe, was sentenced to a term of:
* Prison: 33 months
* Special Assessment: $100.00
* Supervised Release: 3 years
ST. MARKS was sentenced in connection with his guilty plea to assault resulting in serious bodily injury.
In an Offer of Proof filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Danna R. Jackson, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:
On Jan. 1, 2013, ST. MARKS caused the victim, a 1-month old baby at the time, to incur serious injuries. ST. MARKS admitted that after trying to soothe the baby, he became frustrated with her and threw the baby at the end of the bed. According to ST. MARKS, the baby bounced off the pillows at the end of the bed and landed on the linoleum. The incident occurred within the exterior boundaries of the Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation.
As a result, the baby was transported to Northern Montana Hospital and then transported by Mercy transport to the pediatrics unit at Benefis Hospital in Great Falls. The infant suffered severe swelling to the face, her eyes were swollen and she had petchia on the eyes, around her nose, and inner portion of her ear. She had substantial bruising to the face, from the top of her sternum down to her belly button, on the right side of her rib cage. The infant's gums, tongue, and inner cheeks of her mouth were bruised. There was dried blood inside her mouth. A CT scan showed that her brain had bled. Her fingernails were bluish in color, indicating a lack of oxygenation.
Because there is no parole in the federal system, the "truth in sentencing" guidelines mandate that ST. MARKS will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, ST. MARKS does have the opportunity to earn a sentence reduction for "good behavior." However, this reduction will not exceed 15% of the overall sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
