Woman Convinces Judge To Give Her Longer Jail Sentence

A woman asked a judge to give her a longer prison sentence than the offer she received as part of a plea bargain agreement with prosecutors. 

The woman of Oregon, was arrested after she called police to falsely report bombs at elementary schools.

Jenelle Robyn Pinkston, 47, persuaded the judge to sentence her to three years in prison rather than the two years recommended by prosecutors so that she could take advantage of certain programs behind bars.


Pinkston told the judge that she wanted more time for treatment programs and mental health care in prison.

“My biggest concern is that I get better,” she said, referring to her post-traumatic stress disorder she suffered from childhood incidents.

U.S. District Judge Ann Aiken called the request “unheard of” and “courageous.” 

Pinkston was sentenced to 37 months in prison, 13 months longer than the sentence she had faced. Pinkston was credited for the nearly 19 months she had already spent behind bars in the Lane County Jail since her arrest.

Pinkston was arrested after she called police three time to falsely report bombs, causing large-scale evacuations and an FBI investigation.

Pinkston pleaded guilty to using a telephone to make a threat to destroy a building by means of an explosive.

After she is freed from jail, Pinkston will be on three years supervision and was ordered to pay $1,826 in restitution to the Albany Fire Department for their investigations of the bomb threats.

Pinkston has previously been convicted of arson, burglary and forgery, court documents show.