From the Courts: District Court - Woman placed on probation for drugs found in car

A woman was placed on probation after she pleaded guilty to drug offenses stemming from a search of a vehicle in which she was sleeping on a bitterly cold night.

District Judge Jon Oldenburg imposed an 18-month deferred imposition of sentence on Mercedes McDowell Dec. 4 for a felony count of criminal possession of dangerous drugs.

She pleaded guilty to the charge Oct. 29 in a plea agreement which dismissed another felony count of possession of drugs and misdemeanor counts of drug and drug paraphernalia possession.

If she does not violate conditions of her release, after she serves the full sentence, McDowell may petition to have the charge struck from her record.

McDowell was charged after law enforcement investigated two people sleeping in a vehicle early in the morning of Feb. 22, when the temperature was 20 degrees below zero.

McDowell was in possession of a small amount of marijuana, and when the vehicle was searched by a drug task force agent after the agent obtained a warrant, the prescription drug clonozapam, methamphetamine, marijuana and drug paraphernalia were found.