WARSAW — A Warsaw woman arrived as a free woman at Kosciusko County Circuit Court on Monday, Jan. 7, but was remanded to the custody of the Kosciusko County Sheriff as a result of her sentencing on drug charges. The judge in the case told the woman her sentence lacked lienency because of her own unwillingness to help herself.

Melissa Elaine Hamilton

“I’d be more inclined to do something if she’d actually done something,” said Judge Michael Reed at the sentencing hearing of Melissa Elaine Hamilton, 33, 537 Clinic Court, Warsaw. Hamilton was in court for sentencing on two seperate drug-related cases. On Nov. 15, 2018, she pleaded guilty to possession of paraphernalia, a class C misdemeanor; dealing in a counterfeit substance, a level 6 felony; and dealing in methamphetamine, a class 5 felony.

During her sentencing, Defense Attorney Jay Rigdon told the judge that while she was in court as a drug dealer, Hamilton’s problems stem from her chemical dependency issues.

“The dealing, while (it is) dealing, is more a by-product of substance abuse,” Rigdon said.

Rigdon requested a continuance in order for his client to receive a mental health evaluation in hopes to possibly seek alternative sentencing options. Reed said Hamilton had been uncooperative during the pre-sentence investigation and denied the request. “We will proceed,” he said.

On Jan. 11, 2018, Warsaw police were called to a residence to respond to a possible suicidal person. A caller had reported, according to the police report, that Hamilton had made suicidal and homicidal statements. When police arrived, Hamilton denied those reports, but police reported finding paraphernalia with traces of methamphetamine in the residence that they say Hamilton claimed were hers.

Later in that same month, police say Hamilton was observed attempting to sell a substance she claimed was methamphetamine, but which turned out to be counterfeit. A few days later, on Feb. 5, 2018, police say Hamilton was observed selling methamphetamine.

Between that time and June 1, when Hamilton was booked in the Kosciusko County Jail, she was featured in the county’s Most Wanted list.

“We cannot run, we cannot hide from our problems,” Reed told Hamilton after sentencing.

Hamilton received 60 days in the Kosciusko County Jail for her paraphernalia charge and a total of three years with the Indiana Department of Corrections for the two dealing charges. All three sentences will be served consecutively. She received 98 days of credit for time served. Reed ordered Hamilton into the custody of the sheriff, but said if she successfully participates in a Recovery While Incarcerated program, he will later consider modifying her sentence.