JM: Tell us about the pre-sentencing process: Kristen: It was very lengthy, especially when I went to
Cambridge Springs. It was years later before I
was sentenced to jail. They offered 1 year house
arrest if I plead guilty, but my probation officer
said I wasn't guaranteed to get it, so I took it
to trial. I was 8 months pregnant the day of my
sentencing. Renee: It took me 3 months to get sentenced, it normally
takes up to 7
months, but i had an attorney hired who sped up
the process.
When i was arrested the next morning my bail was
set through
a hearing over web cam. Two weeks later i have my
preliminary hearing, where i went in front of the
district justice.
Two months later i had my plea hearing where i
pled guilty and
agreed upon my plea deal, and a few weeks later i
was
sentenced to 11 and a half to 23 months. Chad: I was originally sentenced to 6 mos probation on
this case. I violated the conditions of my
probation by incurring a new criminal charge, and
my probation was revoked. I was re-sentenced and
given a jail term of 1 - 6 months. I served a
little over a month in the Erie County jail. Dennis: i had to spend about four months in the Erie
county prison prior to being sentenced. I was put
in charlie pod which is the parole and probation
violators pod.I was given a pre sentence
information packet that i had to put in all
pertinent information pertaining to my crime and
if i had a lawyer or if i needed one.
JM: Did you have police stop by your house for questioning? If not please give us details on how you came to be arrested. Kristen: The first DUI I got I fell asleep while driving
and went into the field right across the road from
my house, but didn't wake up. Someone headed to
work saw me and called the police. The second one
I was lost driving in Erie and got pulled over for
swerving. The third DUI I was sleeping in my car,
because I was too drunk to drive. Renee: Police came to my house to search, i was accused
of burglary,
and someone had seen me. They identified me by
the cloths i
was wearing, i had had a run in with the same
police officers
twice earlier that day and recieved two
disorderlly conducts. I
refused to come home, or meet with the police, so
a warrent
was put into effect. Two weeks later they
recieved a tip as to
where i was staying, they came and arrested me. Chad: I was originally arrested in 2007 for a drug
paraphernalia charge. The Attorney General served
an arrest warrant on me for a non-related case,
and they saw some drug paraphernalia on my table
and arrested me for that as well. The most
disappointing thing about it was that the thing
wasn't even mine! Dennis: The Erie city police came to my house to serve a
warrant. There were no questions that they asked
because they already knew why they were there. I
was arrested because i was on the run from adult
probation for about two years ( failure to report)
to my P.O. and a drunk driving charge that i
failed to appear in court for.
JM: What was court like? Please give as many details as you recall. Kristen: I sat at a table with my lawyer and the D.A. and
listened to testimony from the cop and my friend.
I faced the jury the entire time. The judge had
no mercy for me being 8 months pregnant. His
brother was killed by a drunk driver. It was a
long day. Renee: At 6 am all the inmates who had court that day
were taken off
the pod and to a holding cell, where we waited
two hours(untill
8 am) for the sheriffs to arrive. When they
arrived all the
inmates were lined up and placed in hand and
ankle shackles,
loaded into a van, and taken to the court house.
Once we
arrived we were taken to a holding cell, and the
shackles were
removed. At the time of our court hearing we were
placed in
hand shackles and escorted to our hearing
location, where we
were met by our attourneys, family of whom we
could not
speak to, and anyone testifying against us. we
were to stand
infront of the judge and answer their questions.
At my
sentencing the victims of the houses i robbed
were there,
which was embarrassing. They wanted me prosicuted
to the
fullest extent, by my judge wanted to keep me in
county. He
gave me 11 and a half to 23 months in the Erie
County Prison.
and 9 years probation. After the judge was
finished sentencing I was brought back to the
holding cell where I was to wait for everyone
else to finish, then put in shackles again, and
brought back to the county prison where I was
searched and taken back to my pod. Chad: Court in the Erie County Court of Common pleas was
fast. I was given the 1-6 month sentence while
already incarcerated (on a probation detainer for
violating.) Going to court from the Erie County
Prison was interesting. People at the jail who
have court that day usually know they have court,
or are told by the jail staff to get ready for
court. They are then taken to a holding area in
the jail where they are put into Sherrif vans,
shackled together and into the vans, and taken to
the courthouse. Inmates are housed in jail cells
within the court house (used to be the jail for
Erie many years ago) while they await to go sit in
the court room pews. Inmates all sit together in
the same section in the court room, and are called
up by the prosecution when it is their turn. They
go in front of the judge, and then sit back down
and wait for the others. Everyone is then taken
back to the jail cells in the court house and they
wait until everyone who came in the Sherrif vans
to be finished. Eventually everyone is taken back
to the jail. Dennis: The first initial court appearance was within
three days of arrest. That was just to explain the
charges. I was also given the chance to see my
probation officer. It was a pretty fast hearing
the judge had explained that i was unable to have
a bond and that i was not going to be eligible for
a work release program.
JM: What were your original charges? What did you end up being convicted of? Kristen: D.U.I. and Public Intoxication. They threw out
the P.I. and I just got charged with a D.U.I.
This was my third D.U.I. conviction....a few
months later and it would have been over 10 years
since the first 2 and I would have had a lesser
sentence. My first 2 got me house arrest. I then
got charges for driving without a license, DUI
related, no inspection, no insurance, no
registration, and having the wrong plate on the
car. My probation officer revoked my probation
and I spent 3 weeks in county until I went in
front of the judge who released me and gave me
house arrest. After my last DUI, I got a retail
theft charge which I had to pay a fine for and
take retail theft classes. Renee: My original charges were almost all of the theft
charges a person could get, such as burglary
felony, theft by unlawful taking, receiving
stolen property, identity theft, forgery, access
device fraud, all of several counts. I pled out
to a total of 4 felonies and 9 misdorminors,
burglary of the f1 level being the worst. Chad: My original charges were Possession of Marijuana
and Drug Paraphernalia. I plead guilty to
possession of Drug Paraphernalia and convicted. Dennis: Failure to appear in court, 2nd drunk driving
charge, and failure to pay child support.