A Fallon woman, placed on probation for supplying alcohol for her teen-aged daughter's party in January 2008, was sentenced Tuesday in both Justice Court and District Court for violating terms of her probation.
Tami Peel was given six months in the county jail by visiting Justice of the Peace Richard Glasson and five additional months incarceration by District Court Judge David Huff.
Peel received a 45-day sentence from Glasson on April 20 for five counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and she was given five six-month suspended sentences to run consecutively if she violated terms of her probation. She also was given a one-year suspended sentence from Huff with the requirement she serve 30 days in jail.
Peel admitted to violating terms of her probation to Glasson, who presided over the case via teleconference from Tahoe Justice Court.
Senior Deputy Attorney General Ronda Clifton called Peel's action of checking into the county jail while intoxicated May 24 to serve her Justice Court sentence "nothing more than a slap in the face."
"Your honor, she does not get it," Clifton said, adding Peel has shown she cannot follow rules or take responsibility for her actions.
"These are not qualities this defendant possess," Clifton said, reiterating the complete lack of respect Peel has shown to the court. She asked for a 180-day sentence with additional time of treatment for alcohol abuse. She said the time in jail would help the defendant realize the seriousness of her crime as well as help against the addiction.
Peel's attorney, John Schlegelmilch, said his client is not attempting to downplay or deny the probation violations.
"It is clear, your honor, that Ms. Peel has a problem, not only with alcohol but handling stress issues in her life," he said.
He added that since his client has served nearly three months in jail, there is no need to keep her there to force sobriety. He asked she be allowed into a treatment center program and for a status hearing to be scheduled to determine if she successfully completes the program. If Peel completes the program, Schlegelmilch asked for her probation to be reinstated.
Peel read to the court from a letter she wrote, in which she said she made a bad choice and needed help.
"This past year without my two kids has been the deepest pain I could have felt," she said, mentioning it hurts to know it is her fault her two children are in a bad environment they hate.
"I turned to alcohol," Peel said, adding she wanted to escape the issues of the past 18 months.
She said she comes from a stable family, but the pain destroyed her and changed her way of thinking. Peel said she needs and wants to change and asked for that chance. She also asked to be released after treatment.
"I will test daily and do anything," she said.
Glasson said his tendency for a first-time probation offender for substance abuse is to offer treatment and give the person the necessary tools to succeed. He stressed an aftercare plan would have to be very detailed.
Clifton said she strongly thinks Peel needs to spend another six months in jail and added doing otherwise would result in prosecutors likely seeing the defendant again.
Glasson said it is strange a person would report to jail while intoxicated with five suspended six-month jail sentences hanging over her head. He added even a down-and-out drunk would not do this.
"I do not have any sense of the character of that person," he said and criticized Peel for reading a letter to the court instead of speaking from the heart. He also called Peel's mentioning of her children "one of the cheapest tricks someone can use."
He warned her to not use her children as an excuse when she spoke to Huff in District Court.
Of the 180 days Peel was sentenced to in Justice Court, some days can be used for the time she serves in a treatment facilty if she completes the program. She was also given credit for 77 days already spent in custody.
In District Court, Clifton said the letters Peel reads to the court blame everyone else but herself for her poor choices.
"She doesn't get it," Clifton told Huff. "It only took her 34 days to violate her probation. She needs time to think about her behavior."
Huff questioned Peel being sentenced to a year in jail because time already served and good-time behavior could dramatically reduce her time in jail.
"I don't have any doubts this defendant has a serious alcohol problem," Huff said. "My inclination is to leave her incarcerated until a bed becomes available."
Huff sentenced her to another five months in jail, and said he will decide if the sentence is to run concurrently with the sentence in Justice Court based on her success in the treatment program in Elko.
"I do believe you have a severe alcohol problem," Huff told Peel. "You need treatment. It is important to get you to treatment."
