Failed Drug Screen Seals Woman’s Sentencing Fate
WARSAW — A Mentone woman had a chance to spend some free time to apply for an alternative to serving a sentence behind bars but was instead remanded to custody after a drug screen revealed alcohol in her system.
Taylor Cole Brandon, 20, 2436 South CR 775W, Mentone, pleaded guilty on Aug. 2, to dealing methamphetamine, a level 5 felony and trafficking with an inmate, a level 5 felony. She appeared in Kosciusko County Circuit Court on Monday, Sept. 24, to be sentenced on the two charges.
After Circuit Court Judge Michael Reed sentenced Brandon to a total of three years in jail with the final year suspended and on probation, he asked Prosecutor Dan Hampton if the state had any objection to giving the defendant some time to apply for a jail alternative such as work release. Hampton reminded the judge of what probation officer Rene Osborn said prior to the sentence, that Brandon tested positive for alcohol on the morning of the sentencing. “She is a high risk,” said Hampton.
“Then she will be remanded,” said Reed. Reed told the weeping Brandon that she would have to apply for work release from behind bars and ordered her to take a seat in the jury box while awaiting escort to the Kosciusko County Jail.
Police reported that in January, an inmate named Rhydeem Hudson had a bottle of lotion delivered to him at the Kosciusko County Jail. The bottle of lotion was intercepted and found to contain a synthetic plant-like material as well as a quantity of a crystal-like substance proven to be methamphetamine. Through the acquisition of recorded phone conversations, police learned that Brandon was the person recruited by Hudson to buy and package the drugs into the lotion bottle before turning over the bottle to the person who made the delivery to the jail.
Brandon’s attorney, John Barrett, told the court that Brandon performed her task out of fear. “Taylor says she was scared, Barrett said. “She was scared of the person who was asking her to do this. Just because this person was incarcerated doesn’t mean there wasn’t fear of retaliation.”
Brandon told the judge she was hanging out with a corruptive crowd. “I got involved with the wrong people,” she said. “I’m tired of all this.”
Reed responded by saying “I certainly hope all this is true, but I’m still going to have to sentence you for what you did.” Brandon received a pair of three-year sentences on the two charges, but Reed ordered those sentences to be served concurrently, making the actual time three years. He suspended the final year in favor of probation, leaving the possible time to serve at two years.