Staff Reports
A Ransomville woman admitted to violation of parole in Judge Matthew Murphy III’s Niagara County courtroom Wednesday afternoon.
Valerie Finach was accused of a class E felony for her substance abuse and Murphy said she could get up to four years in state prison.
Finach, who was represented by public defender Michael E. Benedict, was given the opportunity by Murphy to use a substance abuse program at her previous hearing in the summer, but was re-arrested when she failed to appear at an Alcohol Anonymous meeting and report to probation in July and again in September.
Finach said before she went to AA, she had asked officials to use the pay phone at the program complex to call someone and was immediately arrested for an unknown reason causing her to miss the AA meeting.
“That’s not what I read on the report,” Murphy said, but did not explain further.
Finach admitted to continuously using alcohol and said she did not answer the door of her residence when her probation officer sought her out.
Finach was ordered by Murphy to use the substance abuse program at least once a week while in the Niagara County Jail.
The next sentencing date for Finach is 1:30 p.m. on Dec. 16.
