A woman caught with more than 100 grams of heroin in her possession last year was sentenced Monday to 10 years to life in prison.
Dorothea Chute, 45, appeared in District Court for sentencing on a category A felony charge of high-level trafficking in a schedule one controlled substance.
Chute accepted a plea deal in February in which she agreed to plead guilty to the single charge in exchange for the district attorney’s office dropping 10 other charges, including an additional trafficking offense, arising from the same incident that led to her arrest.
Chute was taken into custody in the Smith’s grocery store parking lot on Nov. 11, 2013 after narcotics officers caught her attempting to sell 56 grams of heroin. When they searched her purse, they also reported finding an additional 57 grams of heroin along with methamphetamine and prescription pills.
Chute’s attorney, Nathan Gent, told the court while they knew his client would be going to prison for the offense, he would ask that the court show Chute some leniency.
“She’s taken responsibility for the acts she’s committed, she didn’t force the prosecution to go all the way with this and take it to jury trial and waste everyone’s time and resources. She took full responsibility for what she did,” he said.
“If the court shows her mercy by giving her 10 to 25 (years in prison) instead of 10 to life, the court is by no means being soft on my client at all. It’s just saying hey we recognize that your client took responsibility and will go to prison for a long time with the 10 to 25 where she can get the rehabilitation she needs.”
Gent further argued that Chute has three young children ranging in age from 2 to 9, whom she could still hope to reconnect with if she was given 10 to 25 years instead of 10 to life.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Kirk Vitto on the other hand told the court Chute was already given a break in the plea deal she accepted and should be sentenced to 10 years to life in prison.
Vitto said Chute has five felony convictions arising out of two prior cases, for which she was given probation. He said her probation was ultimately revoked in those cases and she was sent to prison, where she was later placed on parole. The prosecutor said her parole was then later revoked and she was put back in prison.
“Ten to life doesn’t mean she dies in prison. She’s going to get out. Ten to life is the appropriate sentence. Defense counsel mentioned she has a 9-year-old child. Your honor, her 9-year-old child was in the car with two notorious local drug people while the two high-level trafficking offenses were going down. She was originally charged with child abuse as a result of that,” he said. “She’s had all the chances she needs.”
Chute told the court she was sorry for what she had done, explaining that she is an addict and that she saw her last sale, which ultimately led to her arrest, as just a way to make some easy money.
“Your honor, I apologize for my actions. I have no excuse. I’m an addict and I acted foolishly. I would just ask that the court show mercy on me,” she said.
Judge Robert Lane ultimately went along with the state’s recommendation and sentenced Chute to 10 years to life in prison. The judge also ordered the woman pay a $500 fine and $500 in restitution to the sheriff’s office.