WCH woman who walked away from recovery sent to prison

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A Washington Court House woman who walked away from a residential treatment center was ordered Monday to serve one year in prison on two cases.

Alesha D. Bennett, 32, from Washington C.H., appeared in the Fayette County Court of Common Pleas for a probation violation to charges of possession of heroin, aggravated possession of drugs, both fifth-degree felonies, along with a second case for failure to appear, a fourth-degree felony. Bennett had previously pleaded guilty to these charges.

The drug possession case was filed with the court in December of 2014, according to records, and Bennett was ordered to be supervised by the Fayette County Adult Probation Department but walked away from court-ordered treatment at Fayette Women’s Recovery.

Bennett was instructed to complete a six-month residential program at Fayette Women’s Recovery, according to the court, but walked away after five days, resulting in a community control violation. She failed to show up for sentencing on the case that was scheduled in June, records show.

During the hearing Monday, Bennett’s defense attorney, Kathryn Hapner, said Bennett failed to appear for the scheduled hearing because she had left her paperwork at the recovery center. Hapner said Bennett has remained drug-free and asked Judge Steven Beathard to continue Bennett on community control.

“If given another opportunity she would comply with community control,” said Hapner.

Beathard gave Bennett a chance to speak and offer any mitigating statements on her own behalf, which she declined.

Fayette County Assistant Prosecutor Sean Abbott said the state recommended Bennett serve at least a six-month prison term for failure to appear.

In fashioning the sentence to comport with the Ohio legislature, Beathard said, “I find no genuine remorse or anything to make recidivism less likely,” and ordered Bennett to serve a total one-year term for the charges in the Ohio Reformatory for Women.

Bennett, who was held in the Fayette County Jail leading up to the hearing, was credited with 71 days of local jail time credit. Beathard said no transitional control will be permitted.

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By Ashley Bunton

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Ashley may be contacted by phone at (740) 313-0355 or connect on Twitter by searching Twitter.com for @ashbunton

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