Judge denies woman's request to serve jail term before birth of child

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An Oklahoma woman will serve 27 days in jail in January for possessing a controlled substance.

Rachael Herman, 25, was arrested in March for possessing methamphetamine. Judge Rodney Steele sentenced her to 30 days and agreed to give her credit for three days she’s already spent in jail. She is on anti-seizure and blood clot medicine and is pregnant.

She and her husband, Charles Clark, 28, were caught with the drug at the same time during a traffic stop. Herman said she has been attending Alcoholics Anonymous twice a week and has been clean for three months. She requested to serve the 27 days prior to her child being born, but Steele denied the request. Herman said she has a strong support system in Oklahoma, where she intends to live, and said her marriage to Clark earlier this summer was a mistake and they are in the process of a divorce.

Since this was Herman’s first felony offense, Steele suspended the execution of a three-year prison term and told Herman to change her lifestyle choices.

She has to pay court costs of $65.36 plus $50 for an interstate compact, repay court-appointed attorney fees and serve three years of probation.

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