LISBON Woman pleads guilty to shooting

Her sentencing had been postponed when she requested another attorney.
LISBON -- A woman accused of gunning down her landlord abandoned consideration of withdrawing her guilty plea and was sentenced to 14 years in prison for the nonfatal shooting and other crimes.
Michaelene Duffy, 44, of Lisbon, appeared Friday before Judge David Tobin of Columbiana County Common Pleas Court.
Duffy was sentenced to 10 years for the attempted murder in April 2002 of Thomas Rice, 56, of state route 7, Madison Township, and four more years for the additional offenses.
Rice was shot seven times and survived.
Authorities said Rice had filed a lawsuit to evict Duffy from a mobile home because she was behind in her rent and had kept dogs there in violation of the lease.
Duffy pleaded guilty in March to attempted murder, two counts of passing bad checks, one count of theft, three counts of forgery and one count of identity theft.
Plea deal
She could have received a combined maximum sentence of 22 years in prison. Prosecutors recommended a total of 14 years as part of her plea agreement, which Judge Tobin accepted.
Duffy was to have been sentenced April 3. The hearing was postponed after Duffy asked for a different court-appointed attorney.
She contended that the court-appointed attorney who represented her in her plea bargain failed to adequately serve her. He neglected to interview a witness who Duffy thought would have been helpful, Duffy maintained.
Based on that claim, Judge Tobin had appointed another attorney to review the matter and counsel her in connection with Friday's sentencing.
County Prosecutor Robert Herron said that after she consulted with the new attorney, "she concluded she would proceed" with her plea agreement.