From Prison to Burglar: The Struggle of a Montana Man Who Repeatedly Broke the Law

On April 10, a Polson man named Bryce L. Morrison, 26, pleaded not guilty to a felony burglary charge in Polson District Court. This came just days after he was given a suspended sentence on a burglary charge in late March.

On March 24, four days following the earlier sentence, Polson Police responded to reports of a burglary at two local businesses – Stageline Pizza and Betty’s Diner. Surveillance footage allegedly showed Morrison inside the store without permission, taking money from the cash register and tip jar, along with two beers.

Morrison was quickly located and detained by police. He later admitted to breaking into the businesses and took full responsibility for his actions.

Morrison had previously been committed to the Montana Department of Corrections for five years on a burglary conviction in March 2023. The sentence was part of a plea agreement that dismissed multiple other charges, including criminal possession of dangerous drugs, theft, and another burglary charge from break-ins that occurred at the same location in July and August 2023.

However, this new burglary charge has put him in danger of violating his probation from the earlier burglary conviction. Judge Molly Owen has set Morrison’s case for trial on September 16, where he will face both the new burglary charge and a revocation hearing for probation violation. Currently, he is being held in the Lake County Jail with bond totaling $50