March 11, 2024

(Story taken from Press-release from Pike County Prosecutor’s Office)

A Pike County woman was sentenced to two years and one hundred seventy-eight days of work release on Monday March 4, 2024, after the Court found that she had engaged in a “pattern of committing crimes against other people.” Tabitha West had been previously convicted in 2020 of charges of Domestic Violence and sentenced to probation for two years one hundred seventy-eight days in Cause 63C01-2006-F6-000122. On July 6, 2023, she admitted to violating terms of her probation after she was arrested for yet another Battery offense in 63C01-2302-F6-000044. Numerous delays had ensued after that admission which culminated in the March 4, 2024 ruling by Pike Circuit Judge Jeff Biesterveld that West should be placed in the Wabash Valley Regional Community Corrections program in Vincennes.

Judge Biesterveld found the following factors in making the Court’s decision:

Aggravating Factors found by the Court:

(1) Prior lenient treatment, including prior community corrections probation, has not been successful.

(2) The Defendant has consistently demonstrated a pattern of committing crimes against other people. The Defendant appears to have difficulty with anger management and maintaining impulse control. Prior leniency from the Court has not deterred criminalistic behavior.

(3) The Defendant has a prior criminal history and history of failing to comply with the terms of her probation. The Court finds the following mitigating factor:

(1) Defendant has accepted responsibility for her actions and has admitted the allegation(s) and saved the Court time and resources. The Court also considers the IRAS assessment showing the Defendant is low risk to reoffend.

Based upon rules adopted by the Indiana Legislature, West will be eligible to receive “good time credit” which will make her eligible for release upon completion of one half of the 2 years and 178 day sentence.

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