Area man sentenced for assault with a weapon

A local man was sentenced in Montana’s Fifth Judicial District Court of Jefferson County on Wednesday, April 12, for assault with a weapon, a felony.

James A. Ras was committed to the Montana Department of Corrections for a period of three years with all time suspended – a sentence that factored in the defendant serving 349 days in the Jefferson County Detention Center. 

According to court documents, Ras’s sentence comes with conditions. These include registering as a violent offender, “not owning, possessing or being in control of any firearms or deadly weapons, as defined by state and federal law,” not using or possessing alcohol or illegal drugs and not entering any casinos or engaging in gambling activities. Ras must also participate in any counseling or treatment deemed appropriate by his supervising officer.