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Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Sentencing occurs after Reardan woman found guilty on seven counts
REARDAN—A woman found guilty last month by a jury on four counts of fourth-degree assault, two counts of second-degree assault and one count of harassment with the threat to kill will be going to prison for her crimes. Brandy J. Hood was given 43 months in prison at a sentencing hearing Tuesday, Feb. 22.
Presiding judge Dan B. Johnson gave Hood six criminal points at the sentencing and handed down the harshest sentence recommended by the state on that stance of 43 months.
The sentence was met with a sigh of relief from those in the courtroom supporting Hood’s adult daughter, the main victim in Hood’s crimes.
Hood was originally arrested in Jan. 2020 by Reardan Police, beginning a 25-month court saga that resulted in the county’s first jury trial since Dec. 2020.
Her sentencing was delayed two weeks after she, her mother and her boyfriend lobbed complaints toward arresting officer Andy Manke, claiming he influenced the jury’s guilty verdict through several misguided allegations.
Those claims were quickly shot down in court at a follow-up appearance, where Johnson found no basis for a mistrial.
A tearful Hood and her attorney, Douglas Phelps, argued for a lower-end sentence Tuesday. They said Hood should be given the benefit of the doubt after having no prior criminal history.
However, the judge didn’t view the situation the same way.
“All this behavior is showed by someone trying to hide what really happened here,” Johnson told the courtroom before handing down the 43-month sentence.
The judge also noted the fact that Hood’s actions toward her elder daughter, who was in high school at the time of the crimes, were witnessed in front of Hood’s younger daughter, who was seven at the time.
Johnson called this fact “particularly shocking.”
Hood was also sentenced to 18 months community custody and given a five-year no-contact order with the victims. She must undergo an evaluation for domestic violence and possible substance use after she allegedly was smoking marijuana in front of her daughters.
The defense plans to appeal the sentence at a motion scheduled for Tuesday, March 8 at 10:30 p.m.
Editor’s note: An article concerning this case in last week’s issue incorrectly listed John F. Strohmaier as the presiding judge due to an error in court documentation.
Drew Lawson is the editor of the Davenport Times. He is a graduate of Eastern Washington University.
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