Otterman gets jail time

Saturday, July 31, 2010

GREENCASTLE -- A Greencastle woman has been handed a three-year sentence after being convicted on three Class D felony counts of neglect of a dependent.

Putnam County Circuit Court Judge Matthew Headley ordered Amy Otterman (formerly Reed), 28, to spend one year in prison and two years on home detention.

After her release from house arrest, Otterman will spend three years on probation.

Putnam County Prosecutor Tim Bookwalter lobbied to get Otterman more prison time. He asked for a nine-year sentence with six executed in prison.

"The state respects the court's decision, but strongly disagrees with the sentence imposed in this case," Bookwalter said. "Ms. Otterman placed her small children in jeopardy. Additionally, she has a lengthy criminal record."

Otterman was initially arrested and charged in October 2008 with two counts of Class C felony neglect of a dependent, two Class C felony contributing to the delinquency of a minor, three counts of Class D felony neglect of a dependent and a Class B misdemeanor count of interfering with a drug or alcohol screening test after her then 1-year-old and 3-month-old daughters tested positive for methamphetamine, methadone, cocaine and marijuana.

In accordance with the terms of a plea in the case, several of the charges against Otterman were dismissed.

Bookwalter said Otterman's case had the potential to be precedent setting.

"This is the first time in Putnam County that a child has tested positive for meth," he said.

Bookwalter said the state agreed to a plea in the case because, as the investigation went on, it was revealed that Otterman had not administered the drugs to her daughters, but that the children had found and ingested them on their own.

Otterman's case was continued several times. On June 14, Otterman pled guilty to the three neglect counts.

Otterman was in jail for several months before being released in January 2009 to pursue independent outpatient drug treatment. Several months later, she was granted permission by the court to transfer into a drug rehabilitation program in Putnam County, which she completed.

Otterman had been submitting to random court-ordered drug tests since her release from jail. She had also maintained employment.

Bookwalter said to his knowledge, Reed has not failed any of her drug screens since completing treatment.

Otterman was pregnant when she was arrested, and gave birth to her third child, a boy, in February 2009. That child was in her care from birth, and her daughters, who were initially put in the care of family members, were returned to Otterman.

Otterman's criminal past in Putnam County includes convictions in 2000 for theft of license plates and battery. She has also been convicted or has served jail time for a number of felony and misdemeanor offenses -- including theft, intimidation, battery, resisting law enforcement and check deception -- in Montgomery and Fountain counties.

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  • This is a sad reminder that if you are a "snitch" you can get away with anything INCLUDING STANDING BY WHILE YOUR CHILDREN ARE BEING DRUGGED! Way to go AGAIN Headley! This person has been in jail more times than I have fingers and toes so let's not pat her on the back becasue she passed some drug tests.... Wait for it and she will be back in the newspaper before long!

    -- Posted by Innocent on Sat, Jul 31, 2010, at 8:04 AM
  • By the way it makes me sick to see how proud of herself she is in her SMILING JAIL PHOTO!

    -- Posted by Innocent on Sat, Jul 31, 2010, at 8:05 AM
  • The sentence should have been higher. Why was she given her children back when the case wasn't over? They should have stayed with family members, who were taking very good care of them, until this case was totally over. Then, she should have had to prove herself and have taken parenting classes. Once again, those little kids are the main victims in this case.

    -- Posted by ladycubs on Sat, Jul 31, 2010, at 8:35 AM
  • WOW this just goes to prove again how stupid some people are!!! How can you give back the children to the person who put all these drugs in their system?? I don't understand meanwhile Headley takes away kids from a parent because they have bi-polar! I guess this just goes to show that if you drug your kid and smile pretty in your picture you can get off easy. What is up with Putnam Co. at what point do people suffer the consequences of their actions??? Way to go Judge Headley, way to make your county worse!!! She should have been locked up for life for what she did to those children, they may suffer lifelong damage because of her!!! What a loser parent!!!

    -- Posted by seriously do people think on Sat, Jul 31, 2010, at 10:54 AM
  • What is going on our court system? How did a 1 year old and 3 month old ingested these drugs on their own? Maybe the 1 year old got ahold of them but i'm sure it didn't feed them to the young one. We need new people up there to get back on track. Alot of things get over looked if you'e a snitch. Time for the community to take our town back.

    -- Posted by akgirl on Sat, Jul 31, 2010, at 6:22 PM
  • seriously do people think

    Matthew 7:1, "Judge not that ye be not judged."

    -- Posted by A Mad Bovine on Sat, Jul 31, 2010, at 8:29 PM
  • ABOUT TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We agree with Bookwalter, she should have gotten the whole 9 years!! How is it that a 1 year old could "feed" a 3 month old drugs? They NEVER should have had drugs in the house to begin with!!!! Now, will the children be put back with the SAFE, STABLE, CONSISTANT family members? What fate lies for the children?

    -- Posted by sunrise on Sat, Jul 31, 2010, at 11:18 PM
  • REALLY??? Unbelievable..Rediculous..Ubsurd and down right WRONG. Hate to say it but I would love to knock that smirk right off her face.Ok so I said it and I'm sure they are many many people who feel the same way. Judge Headley you should be ashamed.

    -- Posted by justme44 on Sun, Aug 1, 2010, at 5:27 PM
  • Remember that we DO have the right to vote into office people whom we think will uphold the law and represent the community's best interests. We cannot affect them once they are in that office and then decide to interpret and enforce justice and punishment according to their own ideas of right and wrong. My high school sociology teacher told us that the Pilgrims voted to decide if American's language would be German or English. English by ONE vote. Remember this in November and vote. You CAN change things.

    -- Posted by alfr1 on Sun, Aug 1, 2010, at 9:13 PM
  • Can you imagine if they had given her NO prison time at all - this board would implode. What a shame there was no more time. One year is a slap on the wrist.

    -- Posted by ttocs on Mon, Aug 2, 2010, at 9:05 AM
  • Wow....

    politics in this town continue to get worse

    we need a new judge

    and have we ever had a decent sheriff?

    No... we have a terrible one now!

    I like Frisbee more than the one now

    It is time to let the proper citezens of this community to decide what is best for the peoples in it

    I think that lady should have gotten all 6 years

    -- Posted by BlackBarbie22 on Mon, Aug 2, 2010, at 9:53 AM
  • You all didn't read the story. Several charges had to be dropped because the Mom didn't do it. The 1 year old was dealing to the 3 month old. Probably trying to get the baby hooked guaranteeing a customer for life. Kids do a lot of things right under their parents noses these days. What the parent doesn't know they can't be held accountable for.

    -- Posted by exhoosier2 on Tue, Aug 3, 2010, at 9:06 AM
  • I agree with alfr1, Vote this Pathetic "Judge" OUT of Putnam County!!! We need to take the Power Back, and it starts HERE!!!! VOTE VOTE VOTE!!!!

    -- Posted by Afghan Contractor on Tue, Aug 3, 2010, at 10:26 AM
  • Afghan Contractor, you have a valid point to a degree. But when the majority of people anymore pull a straight party ticket or vote on family name recognition irregardless of experience you get the justice which we are seeing now. The legal jurisprudence system is a revolving door, money laundering, scam.

    -- Posted by exhoosier2 on Wed, Aug 4, 2010, at 2:22 AM
  • I can't believe she had the nere to smile for her mug shot! That is just sick! and Wrong!

    My Prayers are with those sweet babies!

    -- Posted by lovinjesus on Wed, Aug 4, 2010, at 2:49 PM
  • way to go , doesn't surprise me i know of another situation where headley let a mom who tested positive for meth, while living with a guy who is a convicted felon time and again. and for what? meth meth dealing, breaking and entering neglect of a dependent. keep custody of her two small children, meanwhile dads clean and sober and retains custody of the oldest of the three kids. and why because he spoke up and said he wanted to live with his dad, and admitted that his mother and her boyfriend lured him into making false accusations to the police against the father. why didn't mom an boyfriend go to jail for false informing? and how in the world does this mom who was also under investigation for two seperate breakins keep these children? oh and heres another tidbit there so called friend is the same duncan that had the meth lab. i didn't go to law school but if thats what there teaching is right im not buying.save your name mr. headley and start doing right buy the kids in these situations.send them to there real family put the meth addicts and thieves in jail.

    -- Posted by don't get it? on Mon, Sep 6, 2010, at 10:11 PM
  • Are you kidding me? Just saw this and her kids play with mine. Christ....unbelievable. Hopefully she has turned over a new leaf but I am very uncomfortable discovering this.

    -- Posted by jefferson2011 on Sun, Oct 19, 2014, at 11:24 AM
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