Woman gets six months for probation violation

Probation was revoked Wednesday for a 32-year-old Gardnerville woman who was arrested early Tuesday and tested positive for methamphetamine, marijuana and opiates.

Tonya Solak was ordered to serve six months in Douglas County Jail for an underlying offense of possession of drug paraphernalia.

"That figures," she snapped at East Fork Justice Jim EnEarl after sentencing.

Solak told the judge she had used methamphetamine, but only once since she was sentenced to probation.

"You're slamming crank," he said. "Nobody sticks a needle in their arm just once."

EnEarl told Solak she would be referred for in-patient substance abuse treatment toward the end of her sentence.

-- Christopher Tipton, 18, of Gardnerville, received a suspended sentence of 180 days in Douglas County Jail for attempted petty theft and encouraged by the judge to rethink his wish to enlist in the military.

"I applaud your desire to get in the U.S. military," EnEarl told Tipton. "But I think you need to rethink your position and rethink some of the decisions you have made in the last few years. I know of six or seven of them that would have got you killed."

EnEarl also said he doubted that with a criminal record, Tipton would be accepted.

But the defendant claimed he had been recruited by the Army and the Navy.

"I don't think you've got the common sense to stay alive," EnEarl said. "I don't want to see you get hurt."

-- A 28-year-old Gardnerville man who was accused of pointing a shotgun at a residence and having a blood-alcohol content more than three times the legal limit was sentenced Wednesday to two days in Douglas County Jail with 180 days suspended.

"It looks to me like you are a slow learner," East Fork Justice Jim EnEarl told Jesse Hulme, explaining the long suspended sentence. "If you take a drink this next year and get caught, you are going to jail."

He also fined Hulme $692 and ordered him to pay $250 restitution for his court-appointed lawyer.

Hulme originally was charged with brandishing a weapon following the incident last September.

Deputies were called by a resident who saw Hulme sitting in the middle of the road. He claimed the incident was a misunderstanding. He said he had just purchased the $800 rifle and wanted to show it to a friend.

He honked the horn outside the residence and pointed the barrel out the car window.

The rifle was not loaded.

Hulme also had two shotguns in the back of the vehicle.

EnEarl agreed Hulme would not have to forfeit the rifle.

But he told the defendant he could not possess weapons for one year or obtain a hunting license. He also ordered Hulme to abstain from alcohol.

He told Hulme to clear his residence of all weapons and alcohol for the next year.

-- A 38-year-old Gardnerville man was sentenced to a year in Douglas County Jail on Wednesday after he turned himself in to his probation officer because he was out of control.

Kenneth Blackmon called Doug Swalm on May 3 and said he had been intravenously using heroin and cocaine for six weeks and wanted to stop.

They met at the Stateline jail and Blackmon tested positive for the drugs.

He told East Fork Justice Jim EnEarl he didn't want a lawyer to represent him for the probation violations and wanted to be sentenced Wednesday.

"I called Doug and told him I was having a hard time," he said. "I couldn't detox myself. I almost had one year clean but I got in a bad relationship and I was married."

He said when his girlfriend relapsed, he did, too.

"I said, 'That's it.' I need help before I start breaking laws other than the drug use," Blackmon said.

Blackmon had been on probation for possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a hypodermic.

EnEarl said Blackmon could be referred to a long-term in-patient substance abuse treatment program near the end of his incarceration.

"I can't condone your drug use, but it takes a hell of a lot for somebody that's slamming heroin to turn himself in," EnEarl said.

-- East Fork Justice Jim EnEarl reintstated probation Wednesday for a former Carson Valley resident who was arrested in January for using heroin and other violations.

EnEarl said he was giving Johanna Thomas a rare opportunity to keep her probation.

"How often do you think I reinstate probation for somebody who's sticking a spike in their arm?" he asked.

"I won't ever do it again," she said. "That two weeks in jail scared me straight."

Thomas, 43, was sentenced to probation a year ago for contributory neglect of a child.

She violated her probation several times and was arrested in January in Reno where she admitted she had been using heroin and living with another probation violator who was sent to prison.

Thomas said her priority was staying clean and regaining custody of her children.

"Don't mess this up," EnEarl said.