Published: November 13, 2009 07:06 pm      

Berea woman pleads in child pot smoking

A Berea woman could face up to two years in prison after pleading guilty Thursday to giving marijuana to two children.

Linda Gail Carpenter, 37, entered a guilty plea to two counts of second-degree unlawful transaction with a minor for a July incident in which two children being cared for by Carpenter and another woman, Melissa Rawlins, were found to be smoking marijuana at the women’s Brown Street apartment in Berea.

Police were summoned to the apartment after one of the children had to be taken to Saint Joseph Hospital-Berea because of a reaction to the drug.

A Madison County grand jury returned the unlawful-transaction charges against both women in September, and also returned misdemeanor charges of marijuana possession and possession of drug paraphernalia against Rawlins.

Under the terms of the plea agreement, prosecutors did not recommend to Madison Circuit Judge Jean C. Logue whether or not the pair of one-year sentences should run consecutively or concurrently.

Carpenter will be formally sentenced on Dec. 10. A pretrial conference in Rawlins’ case is set for the same date.



Manslaughter case

The case of a Richmond woman charged with second-degree manslaughter was continued to January while attorneys from both sides continue to exchange information.

Keiley Marie Harrison, 24, of Churchill Drive, faces charges of second-degree manslaughter, second-degree assault and aggravated driving under the influence for a May 27 accident that killed an Irvine man, Archie Hurley, and injured his wife Patsy.

Harrison’s attorney, Jim Baechtold, said the continuance was necessary to allow him to discuss the case with prosecutors.

Baechtold also said that despite earlier reports from the Madison County Sheriff’s Office indicating Harrison had attempted to flee following her September indictment, Harrison had not left Madison County at any point.

Harrison had attempted to surrender herself to the sheriff’s office and the Madison County Detention Center the day after her indictment was returned, Baechtold said, but because the arrest warrant had not been entered, neither agency was willing to take her into custody.

Logue set the case for a Jan. 14 pretrial conference and agreed to review Harrison’s bond. Harrison has been lodged in the detention center since early October.



Hager sentenced

Logue sentenced a Waco man to four years in prison following a guilty plea to charges of fleeing from police and second-degree escape, but he will serve only 30 days in jail before being probated.

Stephen Hager received the generous sentence on what Logue termed “very serious” charges because he has been receiving medical treatment and counseling since his arrest.

Hager was arrested on Feb. 14 after an incident involving an argument with his girlfriend that led to Hager allegedly driving her car into the woods, flipping it multiple times before being taken into custody by Kentucky State Police.

The fleeing and escape charges stem from Hager escaping from the emergency room at Pattie A. Clay Regional Medical Center during an examination and running down the Eastern Bypass.

Hager’s mother wrote a letter to Logue supporting his probation request, and spoke to Logue during the hearing, saying the treatment, counseling and medication Hager has received have had a positive effect on him.

Logue sentenced Hager to the recommended four-year sentence on the fleeing charge and a one-year sentence on the escape charges, and chose to make the sentences run concurrently for four years.

After Hager serves 30 days in jail, he will be on probation for four years and will be required to continue his treatment, Logue said. He is also required to maintain full-time employment.



Brian Smith may be reached at bsmith@richmondregister.com or at 624-6694.