Syracuse, NY - A Clay woman who was the first person charged with violating Leandra's Law in Onondaga County admitted her guilt in court today. Katherine Janowski, 43, of 4147 Metauro Drive, pleaded guilty before County Judge Joseph Fahey to a felony count of aggravated driving while intoxicated with a child in her vehicle. Janowski admitted she was driving...
View full sizeKatherine Janowski, center, leaves Judge Joseph Fahey's court after pleading guilty in a case that involves Leandra's Law. Her lawyer James McGraw is at right.Syracuse, NY - A Clay woman who was the first person charged with violating Leandra's Law in Onondaga County admitted her guilt in court today.
Katherine Janowski, 43, of 4147 Metauro Drive, pleaded guilty before County Judge Joseph Fahey to a felony count of aggravated driving while intoxicated with a child in her vehicle.
Janowski admitted she was driving drunk when her vehicle was stopped by authorities at the New York State Thruway exit in the town of Van Buren Feb. 6.
Authorities said Janowski had gotten into a fight with her sister and had forced the sister and the sister's fiance to get out of the vehicle in Montezuma before she drove off with her 12-year-old daughter in the car.
The sister and her fiance called 911 to report what had happened and Janowski was stopped at Exit 39 and taken into custody.
Although Janowski could have faced up to four years in state prison, Fahey agreed to sentence her to no worse than five years' probation. Janowski also will be fined $1,000 and be required to have an ignition interlock device installed in any vehicle she owns and drives as a result of the latest part of the Leandra's Law that went into effect Sunday.
Sentencing is set for Oct. 19.