The Montana Supreme Court affirmed the sexual assault conviction of Asia Carl Soapes on December 23, 2025, concluding a criminal appeal that originated from a 2021 Yellowstone County case. The decision, designated as 2025 MT 296, upheld convictions for one count of felony sexual assault and three counts of felony sexual intercourse without consent.
Soapes was convicted following a jury trial that took place February 8-10, 2023, in the Thirteenth Judicial District Court for Yellowstone County. The Honorable Michael G. Moses presided over the trial court proceedings. The conviction resulted in a judgment issued on June 29, 2023, which Soapes subsequently appealed to the state's highest court.
Justice Ingrid Gustafson delivered the opinion of the court, addressing three primary issues raised on appeal. The court examined whether it should address the district court's denial of the state's implied mid-trial motion to strike a Yellowstone County undersheriff as a juror under the plain error doctrine. The justices also considered whether to address Soapes's claim related to the joinder of offenses under the same doctrine. Most significantly, the court addressed Soapes's assertion that he received ineffective assistance of counsel during the trial proceedings.
The case involved extensive legal representation on both sides. Scotti L. Ramberg of Peace Law Group, LLC in Missoula represented Soapes as the appellant. The state was represented by a team from the Montana Attorney General's office, including Attorney General Austin Knudsen and Assistant Attorney General Thad Tudor from Helena. Local prosecution was handled by Yellowstone County Attorney Scott Twito, along with Deputy County Attorneys Arielle Dean and Hallie Bishop from Billings.
The appeal process followed standard Montana Supreme Court procedures, with the case submitted on briefs on October 1, 2025. The court took nearly three months to reach its decision, which was filed on December 23, 2025. This timeline reflects the careful consideration given to the complex legal issues raised in the appeal.
The case number DA 23-0428 indicates the appeal was filed in 2023, the same year as the original judgment. The underlying district court case was designated as DC-21-1001, showing that the initial charges were filed in Yellowstone County in 2021. This timeline suggests the case moved through the criminal justice system over approximately four years from initial filing to final appellate resolution.
The Montana Supreme Court's decision to affirm the lower court's judgment means that Soapes's convictions stand as originally entered. The court's analysis of the ineffective assistance of counsel claim represents a significant aspect of the appeal, as such claims require courts to examine whether defense counsel's performance fell below an objective standard of reasonableness and whether any deficient performance prejudiced the defendant's case.
The plain error doctrine, which the court considered applying to two of the raised issues, allows appellate courts to address errors that were not properly preserved for appeal if those errors are obvious, affect substantial rights, and seriously affect the fairness or integrity of judicial proceedings. The court's decision to address these issues under this framework, or its decision not to do so, would have provided important guidance for future criminal cases in Montana.
The involvement of a Yellowstone County undersheriff as a potential juror raised interesting questions about jury selection and potential bias in law enforcement-related criminal cases. The district court's handling of the state's motion to strike this individual as a juror was among the procedural issues examined on appeal.
The joinder of offenses issue addressed whether multiple related charges should have been tried together or separately. Joinder rules balance judicial efficiency against the potential for prejudice to defendants when multiple charges are tried simultaneously. The court's consideration of this issue under the plain error doctrine suggests that the matter may not have been properly preserved for appeal through objections at trial.
Yellowstone County, Montana's most populous county and home to Billings, handles a significant portion of the state's serious criminal cases. The Thirteenth Judicial District Court regularly processes felony cases, including sexual assault prosecutions that require careful handling due to their sensitive nature and complex legal requirements.
The affirmance of Soapes's conviction reinforces the Montana Supreme Court's approach to reviewing criminal convictions and the standards applied to claims of ineffective assistance of counsel. The decision provides precedential value for future cases involving similar issues and demonstrates the court's careful consideration of appellate rights while maintaining appropriate deference to jury verdicts and trial court proceedings.
This case represents the conclusion of a lengthy legal process that began with the filing of charges in 2021 and concluded with the Montana Supreme Court's final decision in late 2025, highlighting the comprehensive nature of criminal appeals in Montana's judicial system.