Richmond woman gets jail term in neglect, drinking convictions
A courtroom full of supporters and her lawyer's plea that a Richmond woman be punished with community service didn't sway a Henrico judge yesterday.
Sharon B. Wood, 37, of the 300 block of Clovelly Road in Windsor Farms was taken from the courtroom in handcuffs. Wood was found guilty of child neglect and driving under the influence charges in April, following her arrest a year ago at Libbie Place shopping center. Two of her children, 2 and 5, were located in a rear seat. Police said she berated arresting officers.
Circuit Judge Catherine C. Hammond sentenced Wood to three 12-month sentences, suspending all but two months.
Wood stood to receive up to 11 years in prison. She has taken part in extensive addiction and alcohol abuse programs since her arrest.
-- Bill McKelway
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“Police said she berated arresting officers.“ So she was guilty of ‘contempt of cop’. That will get you prison time every time. One survival rule I learned very early: “the man with the gun is always right.“
Shay- If my memory serves me, Mrs. Wood was originally charged with a higher offense but was convicted of something less. I could be wrong, but I believe that’s what I remember reading in this paper in the past.
The other difference, to me, would be that Mrs. Wood did not cause any physical harm to her children in this instance (thank goodness for that, I’m sure they have some psychological harm as a result though), while one of the Carter children, a 2 year old, is lying in the hospital with life threatening brain injuries.
Thirdly, previous criminal records would also make a difference. Who has them and who doesnt?
If you ask me, it has nothing to do with race in either case. The circumstances are completely different and you really can’t compare the two.
In another article this week, 2 women were charged with FELONY child endangerment for not having children secured in a vehicle (resultng in serious injury to one of them). We know their race - their pictures were in the paper. Maybe if they go to a class or two .......
i agree that race played no role in this case. i do feel she got off easy. i know of people that have been convicted of DUI’s, did not have their children in the car, and served more time in jail. i am glad she had been seeking help thru addiction & alcohol abuse programs but shouldn’t she have to attend some sort of parenting program as well. Those chilren were defenseless to her neglegent acts, thank god she didn’t make it out of the parking lot. i am not saying she should have been sentenced like a hardcore criminal but i do feel like she was handle with kid gloves possible because she is just a spoiled brat with a drinking problem! maybe the RTD didn’t provide all the facts but what about a suspended liscense, ASAP classes, community service…...all the things that go along with a DUI conviction. This could have easily turned into a situation like the drunk mother in NY driving the wrong way on the interstate!
She’ll serve only 30 days total. Which I suppose is appropriate, but frankly think 5 straight days would’ve been plenty enough to snap her to her senses. We’re not talking about a hardcore meanie here, just a spoilt girl with a drinking problem.
We should not sentence people stiffly just to satisfy other folks’ racial scores or grumblings or whatever. Obsession with race calls for a psychiatrist—Not a judge.
Sharon did get jail time. Don’t play that ignorant race card, this judge wanted to “teach her a lesson” and having three years of potential jail time over her head in addition to her work in recovery will keep her on a healthy path after she leaves jail.
Regardless of the womans color, whatever it may be, given her address, I would bet she paid some very hefty fines along with an arm and a leg for a non-court-appointed-attorney. 2 months in the tank will feel like eternity to an alcoholic. I feel that the 2 months is an appropriate amount of time.
jackgoldchain, where in the article does it mention the person’s color? Do you make the same comments on articles about armed robbery in urban areas?...?....?
i think that she should have been sentenced to jail time. she not only endangered her children and herself, she endangered the general public. yeah i’m glad that she got help in the end and some would say that this is enough lesson learned not me for if this had been a person of color people would be claiming unfit mother lock her up and take the kids and oh yeah, there would be definite questions of where was the dad.
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