SHOULD SHE GOT TO JAIL FOR HER MADE UP TALE TO SWING THE VOTE AND WIN SYMPATHY FOR MCCAIN?
A John McCain campaign volunteer will enter a probation program for first-time offenders for falsely reporting that a Barack Obama supporter robbed her and then assaulted her and scratched a “B” on her cheek when he saw her McCain bumper sticker.
Ashley Todd, 20, of College Station, Texas, was to be released from the Allegheny County Jail on Thursday after appearing before a city judge and waiving her right to a preliminary hearing on a misdemeanor charge of making a false police report.
Todd has been jailed since Friday, when police say she acknowledged making up the story about the assault and robbery near an automated teller machine two nights earlier. While jailed, Todd underwent a court-ordered psychiatric examination and was deemed to be competent to stand trial, but in need of further counseling.
“Our focus was really, ‘This is somebody who appeared to have some mental issues,’” said Allegheny County Assistant District Attorney Chris Avetta. “And we wanted to make sure she doesn’t hurt herself or anybody else.”
As a condition of her release, Todd must stay with an uncle in New York. She also must provide the court with her home address in Texas and one for her mother, who also lives there. She must also document every two weeks that she is receiving mental health treatment.
If Todd does that, she will remain free and enter the special program after returning to Pittsburgh for her formal arraignment in January. Under the first-time offenders’ program, Todd will serve probation, normally for about a year, after which her record will be expunged if she completes it without getting into trouble. Mental health counseling will be a condition of the probation.