Methamphetamine, Heroin, Psuedoephedrine…
Few things upset a Judge more than someone being arrested for a crime, when they had just bailed themselves out of jail for something similar. In some cases, it aggravates them so much that they won’t grant bail a second time. However, in Lacey J. Smith’s case, while Hillsdale County District Judge Sara S. Lisznyai was clearly annoyed, she was willing to work with Smith, and grant her a second chance. But it did come at a price.
Smith was originally arrested on January 5th for possession of heroin, possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver, and an outstanding criminal bench warrant for contempt of court. So when she was arrested again on February 1st for three counts of Purchasing Pseudoephedrine, having been bailed out of jail for less than a month, it was something of a surprise that the Judge was willing to show her any leniency at all.
While the Judge did deny her the ability to be released from jail on a personal recognizance bond, which her attorney requested on the grounds that she had already posted 10 percent of the $15,000 bond for the prior arrest, she did provide an alternative. Judge Lisznyai granted another $15,000 bond, and told her that she would need to come up with $1,500 a second time if she hoped to be free again. That is much more leniency than many others have received in similar circumstances.
Smith had already accepted a plea agreement on the earlier charges, in which she pled guilty to possession of heroin and the Hillsdale County prosecution dismissed the remaining two charges. For the most recent charges, Smith accepted a plea agreement to Attempt to Purchase Psuedoephedrine. She is set to be sentenced in March, 2016.
Smith has already been sentenced on the possession of heroin charge. She could have gotten up to four years in prison, but Hillsdale County Circuit Judge Michael R. Smith gave her a year in the county jail, followed by 3 years of probation and a small fee for fines and costs. “You are very lucky you are not going to prison this morning,” Judge Smith said.