TBO.com - Tampa Bay Online
Sierra Granted Travel Permit For Treatment In California
Tribune photo by JAY NOLAN
Jessica Sierra walks out with her attorney John Fitzgibbons after a hearing in judge Daniel l. Perry's courtroom Thursday morning.
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Published: January 10, 2008
Updated: 01/10/2008 09:17 am
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TAMPA - A Hillsborough County Circuit Court judge granted former "American Idol" finalist Jessica Sierra a travel permit for up to 45 days so she can get treatment in California.
If California officials do not allow her to stay there, she will have to come back, Judge Daniel Perry said.
After being released from jail Wednesday, Sierra spoke with reporters. The conversation came after Perry told her he didn't want to see her giving interviews or appearing on television. Today, he said he was not happy with her and ordered her to stay at least 100 yards away from microphones and cameras.
Jessica Sierra
He also said he heard she had a picture taken with a fan Wednesday.
Microphones are a magnet for Sierra, he said.
"You are not a celebrity; you are a drug addict," he said.
Sierra walked out of Falkenburg Road Jail on Wednesday expecting to meet with her probation officer and be taken to Tampa International Airport by her father to fly to California.
Although the recovery center is prepared to admit her, the California Department of Probation will not accept her transfer on an emergency basis, said Hillsborough County Assistant State Attorney Pam Bondi. The department will consider a transfer on a nonemergency basis, which could take 45 days.
Sierra did not learn she had been denied treatment in California until after her release from jail, Bondi said. She then was instructed to go to her family's home in Tampa, Bondi said.
Wednesday morning, Sierra smiled and waved to the media gathered outside the jail. She said was excited to get out and go to rehab and that she wanted to thank her attorney and Dr. Drew Pinsky, who testified for her Monday.
Sierra had been in jail since Dec. 1, when she was arrested in Ybor City on charges of disorderly conduct and resisting an officer without violence.
The arrest also constituted a violation of Sierra's probation. She had been arrested in April at a Hyde Park nightclub and charged with felonies for throwing a glass at a patron and possessing cocaine.
Perry agreed Monday to send Sierra for a yearlong stint at an in-house drug treatment center in California, to be followed by three years of probation.
In court today, Perry asked about Sierra's pregnancy.
Her attorney, John Fitzgibbons, said the pregnancy would not matter to the treatment center. "Their professionals know how to handle this," Fitzgibbons said. "It's not unusual for them."
Perry also questioned whether Sierra consumed alcohol or took drugs while out of jail Wednesday.
Sierra said she had not.
Treatment at the Pasadena Recovery Center would include psychiatric care, medical care and 24-hour supervision, Fitzgibbons said.
"There's no place around here like this place," he told Perry today. "This is an opportunity of a lifetime for her."
TBO.com producer Daniela Velzquez and Tribune reporter Thomas Krause contributed to this report. Reporter Josh Poltilove can be reached at (813) 259-7691 or jpoltilove@tampatrib.com.
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Reader Comments
Posted by ( TampaRealtor ) on January 10, 2008 at 9:48 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
what a loser...im tired of hearing about it!
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Posted by ( Doofy ) on January 10, 2008 at 9:57 a.m.
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
Posted by ( GoneHogWild ) on January 10, 2008 at 10 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
If the judge ordered her not to speak to reporters and she did so against his orders...he should IMMEDIATELY ask the sheriff to take custody and let her get treatment while in custody.
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Posted by ( dark_choc69 ) on January 10, 2008 at 10:09 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
This may sound naive, but I didn't know that a state could deny you from entering it....I guess you learn something new everyday
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Posted by ( feistycuban ) on January 10, 2008 at 10:30 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
dark_choc69:
"The California Department of Probation will not accept her transfer on an emergency basis" according to the article.
When someone is on probation, house arrest, etc. the county or state (depending on who the arresting agency is) bears the brunt of the expense for that individual. For tax purposes, it is sometimes not an option for the person to move to another county or state even on a temporary basis. Since the crime was committed in Florida, Sierra has to request the transfer so that California will now pay the expense related to probation.
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Posted by ( mel007 ) on January 10, 2008 at 10:32 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
My gosh, why would yo do drugs if you knew you were prego??She is lucky she didnt lose baby.Hope this is a wake up sign for the so called american idol
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Posted by ( Dave_M ) on January 10, 2008 at 10:37 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
dark_choc...read the article again...it's the cal probation dept that won't accept her on an emergency basis...not the state....
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Posted by ( shadow214 ) on January 10, 2008 at 11:09 a.m.
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Posted by ( masterzvoice ) on January 10, 2008 at 1:06 p.m.
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Posted by ( masterzvoice ) on January 10, 2008 at 1:15 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
They will accept her on a non emergency basis. Well they the delay. The young woman needs help NOW ... not 90 days from now.
Me thinks someone in the California Probation Department is angling for a BJ.
That is how the entire system works.
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Posted by ( ToTheBeachWeGo ) on January 10, 2008 at 1:23 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
How in the world is she going to straighten up when she's already going against the judge's orders of not to talk to the media? If you look at the picture of her yesterday she was smiling and waving. She loves the attention despite WHY she's getting it. She thinks this is just making her more of a celebrity. She just doesn't have a clue.
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Posted by ( life4takin ) on January 10, 2008 at 1:33 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Believe it or not there are tons of cocaine being used by hundreds of thousands of people in america today. Many of you want
all of these ( losers ) to be locked up. OK
how much is that going to cost and how many more prisons should we build?"
What kind of new TAX would you all like to pay to protect yourseves from the (losers)
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Posted by ( shadow214 ) on January 10, 2008 at 1:51 p.m.
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Posted by ( Jasmine501 ) on January 10, 2008 at 2:48 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Is that the same treatment center in CA that those other 'pop tarts' checked into - then checked out - then in - then out, and it didn't seem to have any positive effect?
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Posted by ( life4takin ) on January 10, 2008 at 2:54 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
I used to get in fights when I was a young man. I used to go to clubs and do stupid things and I did drugs into my 30s. And I had lots of friends who did the same thing.
I never talked with this girl so I don't know what she thinks about herself.
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Posted by ( floriduh ) on January 10, 2008 at 3:09 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Way to go Judge Perry. She just questioned your authority and you slapped her on the hand.
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Posted by ( kristy ) on January 10, 2008 at 9:49 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Jessica is not an AMERICAN IDOL she is a AMERICAN LOSER!!!!!
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Posted by ( Soonethanlater ) on January 11, 2008 at 8:03 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
A and D
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Posted by ( ToTheBeachWeGo ) on January 11, 2008 at 8:25 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
tmz.com has a video from the day she was in court. The judge really laid into her. I loved it when he told her she is not a celebrity. You could tell she did not like that.
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Posted by ( voxpopuli ) on January 11, 2008 at 11:43 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Wow. Stop attacking this young girl. Someone may have put something in her drink. Lord knows she's not THE ONLY ONE who ever made an idiot of herself in Ybor.
The Mayor who denied her relationship to her after she 'fell from grace' IMO a mark of excellence in Tampa.... now THAT IS A LOSER.
Denying your relationship to a person who is related to you who is a young troubled person makes you look better, HOW???
HOW??
Yall lay off.
None of you were ever young and wild and thought you had the world by the tail??
That's sad.
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Posted by ( DarthRandall ) on January 11, 2008 at 3:19 p.m.
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Posted by ( lola11 ) on January 11, 2008 at 8:25 p.m.
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)