09/09/09

A woman who pled guilty to take advantage of reduced charges in a plea bargain agreement, has asked a local judge to change her plea.

Julie Ramirez, 33, of Wendell was charged with two counts of 'forgery of a financial transaction card.' That was after she allegedly used the credit card of a blind 82 year old man she was taking care of and used it to make purchases at a local department store.

Fifth District Judge Randy Stoker said, “That means the state can re-file the dismissed charge. It means that they are no longer bound by their plea agreement, which was a recommendation of probation and a two to five sentence.”

Ramirez said she wanted to change her plea to not guilty, and stoker says now this court case starts all over again. He says that the prosecutor can file a burglary charge against Ramirez, and Jerome County can file additional charges in the case.

Meanwhile, a Filer woman pled guilty today at the Cassia County Courthouse, after she tried to unsuccessfully escape from the courthouse earlier in July.

Dawn Johnson is charged with one count of escape. She managed to run away from the courthouse after officials had failed to secure her to a wheelchair.

After her escape, police found her less than a block from the courthouse. She said she was having a heart attack, but the hospital couldn't find anything wrong.

On July 9th, she was sentenced to seven years in prison for trafficking heroin, possession of cocaine, and possession of drug paraphernalia.