Hollis revokes '07 probation on Hardwick
By SHARON KERR Staff Writer

Jasper County District Attorney Steve Hollis said this week he plans on having probation revoked on a woman accused of killing a Lumberton teen.

Ashley Dean Sawyer Hardwick turned herself in to Jasper County jail Monday afternoon, Jan. 14. Jail records show she was booked at 2:18 p.m.; District Judge Joe Bob Golden set bond at $5,000; and she made bail and was released at 2:34 p.m.

Hardwick was placed on deferred adjudication in Jasper County District Court Feb. 16, 2007.

"Under deferred adjudication, the defendant pleads guilty, but the judge doesn't find him or her guilty. Instead, the judge defers or puts off a finding of guilt, and the probation department monitors the defendant.

"The defendant is ordered to live by a set of rules, like someone on 'straight' or adjudicated probation. If the defendant can't follow the rules, then a motion to adjudicate is filed and an arrest warrant is issued," Hollis said.

Hardwick was indicted by a Hardin County grand jury on a charge of intoxicated manslaughter Jan. 14, but she was already on deferred adjudi- -cation in Jasper County for an earlier case involving possession of a controlled substance.

Hardwick allegedly struck and killed Zachary Wayne Spears in a hit-andrun accident Dec. 18.

The Hardin grand jury found sufficient evidence to proceed with the second degree felony case against Hardwick, which could result in a sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine if convicted.

If Jasper County now issues a warrant and brings Hardwick back to court on the earlier charges, such cases are heard by the judge within 20 days of the motion being filed, "unless the defendant is bonded out of jail before the hearing. Even a defendant in this situation is allowed bail under the law," Hollis said.

Hollis said a motion of adjudication of guilt has been filed alleging that she violated the terms of her deferred adjudication by committing intoxication manslaughter in Hardin County and by smoking marijuana on another occasion.

"If the judge finds either or both of these allegations to be true, we will ask him to find her guilty of the original controlled substance charge and sentence her to state jail," Hollis said.

"Hardin County is pursuing the intoxication manslaughter case against her and will continue to do so, regardless of the outcome of these proceedings (in Jasper)," Hollis said.