Following a successful year in treatment, a pregnant 24-year-old woman from Haines was sentenced to serve three years in prison after she pleaded guilty to dealing oxycodone in Juneau two years ago.
Juneau Superior Court Judge Philip Pallenberg accepted a plea deal reached with prosecutors on Tuesday that sentenced Adeline Gayle Strong to six years with three suspended and three years probation, plus $680 in restitution for the drug buy money. The judge grappled with when Strong should report to jail — before or after her baby is born.
“I wish we weren’t here today two weeks before the birth of a little baby talking about Mom going to jail,” the judge said. “... I wish this crime hadn’t happened in 2010. It puts that baby in a place where his or her mom’s got to go to jail.”
Strong’s lawyer James E. Curtain with the Office of Public Advocacy asked for the sentence to be imposed two or three weeks after the delivery, so there is time for Strong to bond with her newborn child. Her baby’s due date is March 3.
“It’s a hard question, it really is,” Pallenberg pondered. “... Let’s say Mom goes to jail after the baby’s been born, then what do we do? Do we put it off another week so that Mom and baby can have a few days together? Then what are we doing? We’re putting the mom of a week-old baby in jail. Put it off two weeks? Then what are we doing? We’re putting the mom of a 2-week-old baby in jail, and that’s a terrible thought.”
In the end, Pallenberg decided to require Strong to report to jail immediately, by Wednesday evening at 8 p.m.
“The further we put off the reporting date, the further we put off the getting-out date,” he said. “There’s no good answer to that dilemma. I don’t think putting it off makes it better. ... The baby’s coming, I think we ought to get this sentence started.”
Strong was originally charged by a grand jury in May of 2010 for two counts of second-degree misconduct involving drugs, a class ‘A’ felony that can carry up to 20 years in prison.
Prosecutors alleged she sold a total of 1 1/2 pills of oxycodone across two separate occasions when she was living in Juneau.
Empire archives show Strong was one of four people arrested in a two-day period in an Oxycontin drug bust.
“Ms. Strong was one of the last cases, I think, of what we saw was a mass influx of oxy sales,” Assistant District Attorney Angie Kemp said in court.
She pleaded guilty in October of 2010 to a reduced charge of attempted second-degree misconduct involving drugs, a class ‘B’ felony that can carry up to 10 years in prison. That felony has presumptive sentencing range of one to three years, or two to four years, for first-time felony convictions.
Strong was released to her parents in Haines, and reported to a treatment facility in January of last year. She completed treatment this January.
Strong thanked the court for requiring her to attend a treatment facility, saying it turned her life around.
“It really was something that I didn’t want to do at first, but then after I got there I met people my age that wanted to be clean, that didn’t want to be on drugs. And after being there, I started to hear things in people that I wanted to have in my life,” she said. “And it really changed who I am — I know I can’t show it — but it really made me change the way I look at life.”
Both Curtain and Kemp acknowledged the fact completing treatment for addiction was a feat that they rarely see with opiate addicts.
“Your honor, I’ve had a number of these Oxycontin cases as well, and this is my first client that’s actually completed the program,” Curtain said. “ ... I’m very impressed by what Ms. Strong has done ... and what she’s done is she has taken a very strong addiction problem and addressed it. I’m not saying it’s over, I’m not saying it’s over by a long run. But she on her own has gone and started to address these problems, so I think that that speaks very well of her.”
Kemp agreed, saying, “She’s taken some steps that are rare for some of the offenders with opiate addiction, and the state is hopeful that she can do things to change her life.”
Pallenberg wished her well, but also said he wished the court would have ordered her to complete the prison sentence before she went for treatment. Completing treatment then doing jail isn’t the “ideal order” in which to do things, he said.
“It’s a little counterproductive for someone to do all that treatment then go to jail because I think really the treatment program is there to prepare someone to live a clean and sober life in a community,” he said. “You spend all these months in treatment then you go back to jail for a long time, a person can forget all the good things they learned in treatment before they get back to the community.”
Strong’s lawyer said she is currently in the process of applying to be on electronic monitoring, which is something the Department of Corrections decides, not the court.
Pallenberg also noted while a significant number of oxycodone drug busts were made in the same time frame that Strong was arrested, the trend continues to be a problem in the community.
“It’s a significant sentence, I hope it acts as a deterrent to other people,” he said.
• Contact reporter Emily Russo Miller at 523-2263 or at emily.miller@juneauempire.com.
Comments (38)
Add commentGlad I'm not a judge!
Something seems wrong with this sentence; there has to be a better way...
The better way is to NOT deal
The better way is to NOT deal Oxycotin in the first place...DONT DO THE CRIME!!!!
How about the fetus?
Drug addiction + pregnancy= ? I have more empathy for the baby. How many 'fixes' did it share with 'mom'?
3 years in prison...because she sold 1 1/2 pills ?
This reminds me of some movie I saw when I was a kid, where some peasant was sentanced to 10 years in jail for stealing a loaf of bread. If someone wants to do drugs, then that is their right. This is a ridiculous sentance....the punishment does not fit the crime. It sounds like the girl went to rehab and cleaned herself up. But now she, and her kid, will be totaly screwed up by their separation. Not to mention the public cost of incarcerating her for 3 years. Don't you think she could offer something more to society if she was raising her kid?
Too bad she wasn't better
Too bad she wasn't better connected and caught with a kilo of blow. Correction, better connected, kilo of blow and Menendez on the bench. She could've plead out and served no time.......
Pallenberg's a fair cop and at least it will be harder for this gal to get dope while she's serving......
She said she was guilty
Hey people, I got an idea....wheres the guy that knocked her up? Maybe he can take some responsibility and bond with his child while Mama is doing time for a CRIME she commited....
Just saying....
What the hell ever happened to being responsible for your actions!?
it fits the crime
This girl has been out for two years before she even went to court for her crime. She chose to get pregnant durring this time knowing she would most likely go to jail. To me it seems that she may have been using the fact she was having a kid in order to stay out of jail longer or not attend at all. So IMO this fits perfect. Also she had used her position on the outside to put other people in jail by telling on them and working with the police to me that is wrong and shows she was no closer to accepting responsibility for her actions.
I hope the best for her but she will not get my sympathy.
Some treatment.
Got pregnant during her treatment period. Stupid mistake. Did she think she would skate for being with child? You can clean up from addiction but you can't fix stupid.
@SEAKDave
She's from Haines. Besides, I think this type of behavior might extend outside of Southeast Alaska too.
breeze
My bad, made the edit....
I love how you all assume
I love how you all assume everyone who commits a crime is some sort of criminal mastermind. As if this woman got pregnant as part of a cunning plan to stay out of prison. Riiiiight.
It's probably more likely that she just made a mistake. Or intended to clean up her life.
Although, it's much harder to criticize someone for making a mistake or having good intentions, so maybe we SHOULD consider her an archvillain with nothing but malicious intent.
Sounds like jeffo is bummin
Sounds like jeffo is bummin because his dealer dried up. You're equating this chick dealing oxy to a poor person stealing a loaf of bread? Yeah, it's about the same.
have to say, agree with rafrom on this
.....she knew she was going to jail, but in May of 2011 she decided to get pregnant. Why? What rational person would do that? And, indeed, where is the father, and why isn't he filing for full custody right this minute?
Did any of you consider...
This girl constantly makes terrible life choices and DIDN'T mean to get pregnant?! She just NEVER practiced safe sex...apparently condoms are just too dang complicated for this one.
Mastermind
Hardly...
I was just pointing out that the judge made a great decision in not allowing this person to manipulate the system by having a kid. She did the crime she shall do the time.
Persnickety I have seen you crucify other for actions that have been reported. Instead of commenting on comments how about we keep the convo about a snitch turned mom now felon
wish the best for people because in this wonderful country we all derseve second chances. I mean Chris Brown just won a Grammy
Same situation
I know a young woman who was in a very similar situation. Only she was pregnant in jail; delivering while incarcerated. Reuniting with her baby was what kept her strong and clean and focused.
The two are now reunited. She is a gainfully employed, productive member of society. And they are very happy. The child doesn't seem to have suffered from any ill affects of not having her mom there in the very beginning, but that could be because she had quality foster care early on.
Oh and btw, she wasn't trying to get pregnant. Contraception fails.
swimmergirl
Have you never heard of an 'accidental pregnancy'? "What rational person would do that"...come on, now. Let's think this through. Why isn't he filing for full custody? I could think of many reasons. 1. Maybe he is. 2. Maybe he doesn't know he has a kid on the way. 3. Maybe the baby would be worse off with him. Thiiiiink.
Alaska justice
A girl gets a 3 year sentence for selling a whole pill and a half. Gangster. A policeman was set to receive probation from a charge of repeatedly sexually abusing his own daughter. He was an officer of the law
That is the sad face of the Alaska justice system.
I would say with a name like Strong she was undoubtedly native, then people could say there goes the same old race card. They would ridicule without looking at the statistic of native to caucasion ratio that exists in the Alaska penal system. They would skip over the fact that he undoubtedly had a lawyer provided by union representation while was provided a public defender.
I risked incarceration by telling the judge the state would be better served by parrot that could continually repeat the phrase " this is what the prosecution is offering. That was only phrase my daughters court appointed attorney could utter when she received a year in state custody for criminal trespass.
Her sentence was given out for sitting on the wrong side of a dollar sign. Her only crime was belonging to a people living behind a bar crueler than any seen in prison it's called poverty
quick to judge
Some of you seem quick to pass judgement. When you have no idea what this girl has gone thru to get to this point in her life. You take a snippit of her life that ends up in the paper and try to make her out to be a bad person. We all know she did the crime and now she will pay the time.....some of which she has done already. She has accepted that and is obviously trying to do right to herself, her baby, and the people she loves, by going to and COMPLETING rehab. She didn't try rehab....she completed it and remains clean.
As far as her being pregnant, this didn't happen to manipulate the system. Sometimes people get caught up in passion and things happen. Not everyone has the self control of some of the people on this comment string.
Holier than thou
You guys are soooooo ridiculous and judgmental. What the heck makes you "holier than thou" You don't know her! And ken dunker II, she was in rehab for a year and the whole time she was pregnant she was in rehab. therefore, she did not "share her fixes with her child" otherwise she wouldn't have COMPLETED treatment! Do your math genius, you aren't pregnant for 12 months! I am impressed that she is addressing her addiction and got the proper treatment for her addiction. That is more than I can say for a lot of the drug addicts in this town. I wish the best for her and her child. And unlike you idiots. I will give her the benefit of doubt and not not pass judgment. I happen to know that she is doing really great, and a baby really does change your life and she will be a great mother! In the mean time, she has a great support system and had a great life growing up with very loving parents.
"be kinder than necessary, because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle"
If she wasn't a minority...
It seems to me that minority's and the poor get more time. I've read about alot about the oxy dealers in Juneau the few years in the empire. There has been some privileged kids that sold huge amounts and got not jail time. Just like the officer who abused his own daughter. I never understood that. When I was on Jury duty, some of the cases were a joke. A huge dealer gets no time and goes to rehab. A lower class/minority gets screwed. It's sad! Stop hating people.
Oh I do
I know Adeline, I know what kind of person she is...and who she was.
I agree she's come a long way in SOME areas...however, responsibility isn't one of them.
She mad an active choice to
She made an active choice to not make the guy wear a rubber. She should have said,"Look! I'm certain that I'll be going to jail in the near future so you need to wear a rubber." She obviously didn't.
She needs to remember "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRa9uhiAPBs"
Being knocked up won't save anyone from the slammer. There's all kinds of prison shows that people can reference to see for themselves. There are a lot of mothers in prison.
A few years ago, one of the assistants at Gastineau Elementary was responsible for coordinating monthly trips for students to Lemon Creek so that kids could visit their mothers.
Why should this gal be any different?
I HOPE IT ACTS AS A DETERRENT TO OTHERS.
Strong words by Judge Pallenberg but should apply to all who choose to sell drugs not only oxycontin but cocaine as well.Seems Judge Pallenberg is on to the lawyers who like to drag the court case out in hope that the case will simply get thrown out.
J.E Fume
Wow, were you there the night that this happened? How do you know that they didn't wear a condom? Condoms/Birth control fail all the time. They are not 100% effective. I imagine you don't know all the details, whether or not she is in a actual relationship with the father or what not.
I don't know this girl, but before you make an Ass out of yourself for assuming something you have no way of knowing first hand, perhaps you should shut it...
I stand corrected.
You are right. She was making an effort to turn her life around. I applaud her for this. On reflection I see she has made the effort and I hope she will be allowed to be the mom in this instance. Still...I would be more comfortable with testing the baby.
You Do The Crime
you do the TIME.
Motherhood is irrelevant
1. She was an oxy abuser.
2. She was an oxy dealer.
3. She got pregnant (accidentally or intentionally, doesn't matter).
Three SERIOUS problems with judgment and responsibility here.
Oxy dealers are a huge threat to society. Doesn't matter if it's one pill or dozens, they are a huge threat here. Oxy is probably the #1 problem drug in Juneau and our society needs to combat it at every angle we can. It doesn't matter if the dealer is a mom-to-be, a Dentist or a homeless drunk. ALL are dangers to society and need to be put away.
Just because she only got caught dealing twice doesn't mean that's the only two times she ever dealt oxy to someone.
I think three years is just. Put her away. Let her deliver in prison. Put the kid in foster care or let her family raise it. It's her own fault. Yes, I believe people deserve second chances in most things. But to say, "It was only 1 pill" is like a heroin dealer saying, "I only ruined one kid's life by getting him addicted just that one time."
One life is too many.
I'm really not happy that the judge made motherhood such an issue here. It sets a bad precedent.
And it's not beyond my belief that she could have gotten intentionally pregnant as a means of escaping jail time. It certainly seemed to be a factor in the judge's decision. Bad precedent.
@ Pimpin: These forums ARE for opinions. These are mine.
Well Persnickety Persimmon (she just made a mistake)
There you are again ever so sympathetic towards the criminals of the world, again what side of the prison walls does your computer reside?
call your mama
I think everyone who has a 'great opinion' about the pregnancy in this case should call your mama and ask her if she 'planned you' or if the contraception didn't work, and start your comments from there. Then ask yourself, how necessary was your judgmental comment, AFTER applying them on your mom.
I'm grateful that Ms. Strong finished her treatment. I hope and pray all the best for her, and her child. I hope she qualifies for electronic monitoring in lieu of jail.
1 1/2 pills.....hum...