Monday, May 20, Jamie Finley appeared in Lake County Justice Court, charged with kidnapping her two year-old niece over the weekend, resulting in a statewide Amber Alert.

Jamie Lynn Finley
photo courtesy of Montana Department of Justice
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Finley, 34, of Hot Springs, was arrested Sunday morning, May 19, after tips led Lake and Sanders County authorities, along with tribal law enforcement to a residence in Sanders County.

Deputy Lake County Attorney James Apotka said on Tuesday, May 21, the state asked the court for bond, considering the seriousness of the allegation against Finley.

"She appeared in justice court in front of Justice of the Peace Joey Jayne," Apotka said. "We made an argument, requesting that some amount of bond be set, however, the judge denied our request and released Finley on her own recognizance."

Apotka said he was concerned about the possibility that Finley might flee the area due to the serious nature of the kidnapping charge.

"It's something I do concern myself with," Apotka said. "With every felony case, the county attorney's office does make an argument for an appropriate bond. In this case, I felt a certain amount of bond was required due to the seriousness of the offense, however, the justice of the peace disagreed with me."

The Associated Press reported that several of Finley's relatives said after the hearing that she took the child to keep her from being abused by the child's mother and her boyfriend.

Deputy Lake County Attorney James Apotka

 

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