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Pre-sentencing

Interview with Mario and Tanya

JM: Tell us about the pre-sentencing process:
Mario: I had 2 hearings 1ST was called 8.1 hearing.. that was to let me know how much my bond was.. The 2nd hearing they gave me a public deffender.. and gave me a court date in 60 days.. I was in the court room with other criminals.. my lawyer talcked about plea deals..
Tanya: I spent 120 days waiting for my trial & at the last minute I took a plea so I could get out.

JM: Did you have police stop by your house for questioning? If not please give us details on how you came to be arrested.
Mario: I wrote the bad check in 2002 for $226. At the time i was a alcoholic, and not maniging my money like i should have..Ten years later i was working offshore. and needed my license renewed, and could not the hot check department had a warrent for my arrest.. for the check and a couple of months later i turned my self in.
Tanya: I turned myself in to my bondsman

JM: What was court like? Please give as many details as you recall.
Mario: while i was in court it was a humbling experience, i was unshaved and under wait,I was handcuff and shackled, my public deffender was polite, the judge was a fair man. I rember i had to use the restroom real bad and they would not allow me to.there were alot of other people with me,also handcufft and shackled.the hole process lasted about 15 min.
Tanya: Arraignment was boring. I just sat there until my name was called, entered a plea was given a court date for my trial. Trial was different. My attorney & I had came to an agreement with the prosecuting attorney (called a plea bargain)to change my plea to guilty & give a detail confession of my crimes in exchange for a lighter sentence. So I was informed by the prosecutor before we went to court what the judge was going to sentence me to. I knew I wouldn't be going home for a long time.

JM: What were your original charges? What did you end up being convicted of?
Mario: My orginal charges were a hot check charge. The check amount was $226.I pled guilty to a class "C" felony and recived 3 years probation and a fine..
Tanya: Felony DUI, Felony hot checks, Felony failure to appear and parole violation. I had several misdemeanor charges. I was convicted of all the charges

Read about sentencing in the Washington County Jail

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