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CASSOPOLIS — A Cassopolis woman learned the consequences Friday in Cass County Circuit Court for failing to report for her original sentencing date in February. 

Mary Rose Barber, 40, of North Broadway in Cassopolis, pleaded guilty to attempted unlawful driving away of an automobile and was sentenced to 270 days in jail. She has credit for 111 days served and must pay $1,548 in fines and costs. 

The incident occurred Oct. 27, 2022 in Cassopolis when police received a call of a vehicle having been stolen. A video camera captured images of Barber getting into a Hummer and driving off earlier that day. Police located the vehicle and arrested Barber. 

Defense attorney Nicholas Hogue said Barber took responsibility for her actions. For her part, Barber said she wanted to “humbly and openly apologize” to those she had inconvenienced and said it would not happen again. 

Cass County Circuit Judge Mark Herman noted that he had released her on bond when she pled in the case on Nov. 28. She then failed to contact probation and appear for her sentencing. She was arrested on March 12 and has been in jail ever since. 

“Since being picked up, you’ve served an additional 78 days,” the judge said. “That’s 78 days more than what you would have served if you had shown up in the first place … You’re 40 years of age, you have to realize there are additional consequences if you thumb your nose at the court.” 

“You don’t just get a freebie when you don’t report,” Judge Herman added. “… If you don’t show up, you will pay me back for that time. When you were living on Broadway, there was no excuse for not showing up. You could have thrown a rock and hit the window of the probation office.”