Knox Woman to Spend 30 Months in DOC

  A Knox woman is going to prison after a sentencing hearing yesterday morning.

Tiffany Witham, 32, admitted to a probation violation and to a charge of possession of a controlled substance as a Class D felony.

She was arrested in February after a traffic stop in North Judson where she was in possession of a controlled substance without a doctor’s prescription. Probation officer Annette Warkentien testified during the hearing stating that Witham lacked cooperation with the department. While Witham admitted that she had a drug problem, she would not follow through with treatment programs.

Her attorney, Richard Ballard, argued that Witham has changed the friends that she hangs around with and has attempted to improve her life. She had been approved to complete her sentence with Starke County Community Corrections.

After hearing the arguments, Judge Kim Hall accepted the plea agreement and Witham was sentenced to 12 months in the Department of Corrections with no part of the sentence suspended on the probation violation and 18 months with no part of the sentence suspended on the charge of possession of a controlled substance. Those sentences will run consecutively for a total of 30 months in the DOC.

However, Judge Hall did not permit Witham to serve her sentence on home detention. He said he thought it would be a mistake for her to serve her sentence on home detention as the temptation to do drugs would be heightened. While incarcerated, she could take part in 24 hour a day drug treatment program. If she successfully completes a program, she could petition the court for a sentence modification.

She was taken directly from the courtroom to the Starke County Jail after her hearing.