From the Courts - State District Court: Woman sentenced, resentenced, to probation on drug charges

Brandy E. Winchell was sentenced in state District Court in Havre to a total of five years probation for violating conditions of her release in one drug case and on a new drug charge.

Winchell was charged with criminal possession of drugs in January while serving a two-year suspended sentence on possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia, which was imposed to run after a four-year suspended sentence imposed on a 2014 charge of distribution of dangerous drugs at the same July 13, 2015 hearing.

Hill County Attorney's Office filed a petition in March to revoke the suspended sentence in the 2015 charges, alleging Winchell had possessed methamphetamine, amphetamine, alcohol and prescription drugs that did not belong to her as well as removing a drug-monitoring patch she was required to wear.

July 6, Winchell admitted to two of the violations of conditions of her release and pleaded guilty to a 2020 charge of criminal possession of dangerous drugs.

State District Judge Kaydee Snipes Ruiz revoked the suspended sentence during a hearing Sept. 14 and reimposed the two-year suspended sentence, crediting Winchell with 14 days served and 240 days street time and ordered her to attend a community correctional facility or program for nine months.

Snipes Ruiz sentenced Winchell on the 2020 charge to five years with the Department of Corrections, all suspended, and credited her with five days served. She ordered Winchell to pay $130 in fees and surcharges and ordered the sentence to run at the same time as the two-year suspended sentence.