A Mother Followed Her Daughter’s Plan… And Ended Up Facing Jail

Added: 2026-06-01

[00:00:00]you're telling me your 16-year-old daughter comes to you and says, "This is the bracelet. I need you to pawn it."

[00:00:05]And you being the adult in this situation are is listening to your 16 daughter 16-year-old daughter to go pawn a bracelet that you know is stolen. Do you Do you see?

[00:00:16]>> She thought she was helping her daughter. But when the judge learned she knowingly pawned a stolen bracelet, the entire courtroom conversation changed.

[00:00:25]What followed was a tense exchange about parenting, responsibility, and a decision that could have sent her to jail.

[00:00:31]>> Court is calling 2025 CR005793 State versus Quinette Perry. Can I have parties announce?

[00:00:41]>> Lauren Nesmith for the state.

[00:00:42]>> Tiffany Seagraves for Ms. Perry.

[00:00:44]>> And is your first name Quinette?

[00:00:45]>> Yes, ma'am.

[00:00:46]>> All right, thank you. Counsel, have you received all discovery? Did you review it with your client?

[00:00:50]>> Yes, ma'am. Your Honor.

[00:00:51]>> Court will find that the state is in compliance with discovery.

[00:00:55]Ms. Perry, did you review the application for community supervision with your attorney? Did you understand it?

[00:01:00]>> Yes, ma'am.

[00:01:01]>> And sign it?

[00:01:02]>> Yes, ma'am.

[00:01:02]>> Did you review the true bill of indictment with your attorney? Did you understand it?

[00:01:06]>> Yes, ma'am.

[00:01:07]>> Counsel, do you waive the reading?

[00:01:09]>> Yes, Your Honor.

[00:01:10]>> State, are you proceeding on the indictment as presented?

[00:01:12]>> I believe we are waiving the punishment enhancement.

[00:01:16]>> Any objection?

[00:01:16]>> No objection, Your Honor.

[00:01:21]>> Uh Ms. Perry, did you review the court admonishments with your attorney? Did you understand it and sign it in all the appropriate places?

[00:01:27]>> Yes, ma'am.

[00:01:28]>> All right, you're charged with theft of property $2,500 uh less than $2,500 with two or more previous convictions.

[00:01:38]That's a state jail felony. The range of punishment is anywhere from 180 days up to two years in the state jail facility and up to a $10,000 fine. If you have a plea with the state, the court does not have to follow your plea. If the court does not follow your plea and gives you more than you bargained for, the fact that you entered a plea will not be used against you and you will be allowed to withdraw your plea.

[00:01:58]You have a right to jury trial, a right for you or your attorney to cross-examine and confront any witnesses the state would call, and the right to remain silent. By entering this plea, you're giving up those rights. Did you intend to give up those rights and enter into a plea in this case?

[00:02:12]>> Yes, ma'am.

[00:02:13]>> Counsel, has your client been able to provide you with any defenses?

[00:02:16]>> Yes, your honor.

[00:02:16]>> Do you believe she has a rational, as well as a factual, understanding of the charges against her?

[00:02:21]>> I believe she does, your honor.

[00:02:22]>> Do you believe she's currently competent and was legally sane at the time of the offense?

[00:02:26]>> I believe she was.

[00:02:27]>> Miss Perry, has anyone threatened you, coerced you, or placed you in fear to get you to enter this plea?

[00:02:32]>> No, ma'am.

[00:02:33]>> Has anyone promised you anything other than the plea?

[00:02:36]Are you satisfied with the way you've been represented?

[00:02:39]>> Yes, ma'am.

[00:02:40]>> If you're not a U.S. citizen, by entering this plea, you will be deported, denied naturalization, and re-entry. Did you understand?

[00:02:47]>> Yes, sir.

[00:02:48]>> Court will find that defendant has knowingly and voluntarily waived her right to jury trial.

[00:02:53]Did you review the plea bargain page with your attorney? Did you understand it?

[00:02:58]According to the plea, punishment is to be assessed at 1 year in the state jail facility. There's an $800 fine, and the state is recommending community supervision. Did you understand that to be the plea?

[00:03:09]Defense, state?

[00:03:10]>> Yes, sir.

[00:03:11]>> Yes, your honor.

[00:03:11]>> Did you review the waiver of appeal paragraph with your attorney? Did you understand it and sign it in both places?

[00:03:16]>> Yes, sir.

[00:03:17]>> By signing that, you're waiving your right to appeal. The only items that can be appealed are written pre-trial motions that have been filed, heard, and ruled upon by the court. Did you understand?

[00:03:26]>> Yes, ma'am.

[00:03:26]>> Any such motions?

[00:03:28]>> No, your honor.

[00:03:28]>> Outside the agreement, the state is recommending that your community supervision be for a term of 2 years, there be a TAPI evaluation, 200 hours of community service, restitution, no contact with the Melia Gomez or Angelica Gonzalez, and the anti-theft course. Did you understand those are recommendations from the state, and the court does not have to follow those recommendations?

[00:03:50]Then to the offense, how do you plead, Guilty, not guilty, or no contest?

[00:03:53]>> Contest.

[00:03:54]>> State, any evidence?

[00:03:55]>> Yes, Your Honor. Proceed with State's Exhibit 1 and all attachments.

[00:03:58]>> No objection, Your Honor.

[00:03:58]>> All right. State, do you and State in this case, there's no restitution?

[00:04:02]>> No, Your Honor.

[00:04:02]>> All right. State, you may be excused.

[00:04:03]>> Thank you.

[00:04:04]>> Did you review the waiver and stipulations with your attorney? Did you understand it and sign it in all the appropriate places?

[00:04:10]Again, did you understand you have a right to jury trial, a right for you or your attorney to cross-examine and confront any witnesses the State would call, and the right to remain silent?

[00:04:19]>> Yes, Your Honor.

[00:04:20]>> Did you understand that today the State will be presenting evidence in the form of witnesses, statements, and police reports, but most importantly, there will be no live testimony. Did you understand?

[00:04:30]>> Yes, Your Honor.

[00:04:31]>> Court will find that defendant has knowingly and voluntarily waived and consented to stipulation of testimony and stipulations. Court will accept into evidence State's Exhibits 1 and attachments and review the same.

[00:04:59]All right.

[00:05:00]>> State will call witness.

[00:05:03]>> After reviewing State's Exhibits 1 and attachments, the Court will find there's sufficient evidence to find you guilty, and the Court will find you guilty.

[00:05:11]Are we proceeding with sentencing?

[00:05:12]>> Yes, Your Honor. We're awaiting PSI.

[00:05:14]>> All right. You want to explain to me, or maybe your counsel can explain to me, why are you doing this?

[00:05:21]>> Um Your Honor, we believe, just based on the facts of this case, that the best to just go ahead and take the go agreed-to plea offer that the State gave us.

[00:05:30]Um as far as sentencing goes in accepting these terms, we think they're the most favorable terms. The last time she has been in trouble was in 2017. We Um and she hasn't been in trouble since.

[00:05:41]She's been clean. She's been trying to take care of her kids. She's full-time uh care caretaker for her son, who has also mental health and behavioral issues. Um her daughter has since learned her lesson. Her daughter is now an adult.

[00:05:54]She's no longer a juvenile.

[00:05:56]>> But has she really learned her lesson?

[00:05:58]Because what I'm reading in the stipulation is she's the one who ended up pawning the bracelet.

[00:06:04]>> Yes, Judge. Um at the direction of her daughter, Precious. But Precious has since >> Well, wait a minute. So, during this time, how old was Precious?

[00:06:13]>> I I can speak.

[00:06:14]>> When this incident >> When this incident took place, she was 16. She Her and the other little girl were minors.

[00:06:19]>> Okay, so Precious is 16 and Precious told you uh >> 18.

[00:06:22]>> Yeah, no, no, no. But that at this time when Precious was >> had an idea to pawn it. She was She was going to give it back, but when the ISD cop kept pressuring her, she shut down. She didn't give it back.

[00:06:35]>> And so, she gave it to you and told you to pawn it.

[00:06:39]Okay, that doesn't make any sense to me.

[00:06:40]>> to get her money back from the little girl that stole from her.

[00:06:44]>> I I don't know what's happening in this world.

[00:06:47]Because No, no, no. Here's the thing.

[00:06:49]As a parent >> You know >> if this other minor stole $20 from your daughter over the summertime, and what I'm reading in the stipulation, she didn't steal it, another one of her relatives stole it, who's probably not a a good parent or a good relative, and then your daughter decides to steal a Pandora bracelet from this little girl, which probably costs more than $20, and then I'm reading in the stipulations where they're asking you to get it back from your daughter, and you're like, "Oh, my daughter needs to calm down first." Do you even see how that My daughter stole somebody's bracelet, but you know what? I can't approach her yet.

[00:07:30]She's She needs to calm down.

[00:07:32]And then she doesn't calm down, and they're like, "Hey, you need to turn this bracelet over." Now, you say and then you tell them, "Well, you're not getting it. How about them apples?" And then you're telling me your 16-year-old daughter comes to you and says, "This is the bracelet. I need you to pawn it." And you being the adult in this situation are is listening to your 16-year-old daughter to go pawn a bracelet that you know is stolen. Do you Do you see?

[00:07:59]>> That was 2 years ago. Like I said, when I made them choices back then, it ain't nothing like now.

[00:08:04]I made a wrong choice back then when I shouldn't have, like I told her and like I was talking to the other mom. Me and the other mom she got into it with one another.

[00:08:14]Instead of giving her money back, my daughter shouldn't have did that.

[00:08:17]>> Well, according to the stipulations the minor is not even the one who stole $20 from your daughter. It's some other relative.

[00:08:26]>> It was the minor who did it.

[00:08:28]>> I'm just telling you what's in the stipulations, which y'all stipulated to.

[00:08:31]And even if she did it, I don't know why you would think 2 years ago that it would be okay to take this Pandora bracelet and pawn it.

[00:08:41]And how much money did you get for the Pandora bracelet?

[00:08:43]>> $40 that she took from her?

[00:08:46]>> No, according to this it was only $20 that a relative took.

[00:08:49]>> The girl stole it from my house and my daughter's room, that's why it was there. And this when my daughter took her bracelet was at school. When I was talking to the mom and the stepdad about this, they didn't want to hear nothing about it.

[00:09:01]>> You know what? I believe at the time she thought she was putting her daughter putting her daughter in the right and putting her even with the money at the now in hindsight wasn't the best parenting decision. It was in the heat of the moment. She has since learned that probably think about things before doing something so reckless. And she understands that now. We've had several long talks about this already.

[00:09:24]>> Guess what? Precious is Yeah, her ass is getting a job. She's old enough now. She got a job like that.

[00:09:31]>> See, we're still in the same position.

[00:09:34]Does Precious have a job?

[00:09:35]>> No, she just got her ID just recently and now she's looking for a job. She has a job interview after this.

[00:09:43]>> Yeah.

[00:09:45]There's going to be an $800 fine.

[00:09:48]1 year in the state jail facility.

[00:09:51]Suspended and probated for 3 years.

[00:09:54]200 hours of community service restitution.

[00:09:57]No contact with Amelia Gomez or Angelica Gonzalez.

[00:10:11]And that's Gonzalez with a Z.

[00:10:14]>> Evelyn Soyini.

[00:10:15]>> Oh no, I'm saying that it's a different spelling.

[00:10:18]The anti-theft course.

[00:10:22]Field visits one time per month for 8 months. Proof of employment within 30 days.

[00:10:29]No employment as a home health care provider or with minors.

[00:10:34]TAPI evaluation out of custody follow recommendations.

[00:10:38]And the MRT.

[00:10:41]And no possession of firearms.

[00:10:48]And what are the ages of the children in your home?

[00:10:51]>> 28, 19, 18.

[00:10:53]>> Okay.

[00:10:54]No unsupervised contact with minors.

[00:11:00]Probation, is there anything else?

[00:11:02]>> UAs of reporting >> Thank you.

[00:11:07]Regular random UAs.

[00:11:10]Regular reporting by Zoom or in person.

[00:11:14]Anything else?

[00:11:15]>> No.

[00:11:16]No, judge.

[00:11:17]>> All right. Did you review the document entitled trial court certification of defendant's rights to appeal with your attorney? Did you understand it and sign it?

[00:11:25]Because this is plea bargain agreement because I followed your plea bargain agreement and because you waived your right to appeal, you do not have the court's permission to appeal. Because this is a felony conviction, you're not allowed to own or possess any weapons or ammunition. If you have a question over what that is, you need to speak to an attorney. Do you understand? All right, good luck.

[00:11:41]>> Your Honor, if I may, the plea bargain was year in state jail suspended for 2 years.

[00:11:47]>> All right. This is what I always have to remind people. Anything below the line is not a part of your plea bargain agreement, and you're not allowed to enter into an agreement for a length of probation time or certain conditions of probation. The only thing you're allowed to agree to is we have an agreement that she's to receive probation or a fine.

[00:12:06]But as far as conditions and length, you're not allowed to agree to that.

[00:12:09]>> I see.

[00:12:10]>> All right, thank you.

[00:12:11]>> Thank you. May we be excused?

[00:12:12]>> Yes.

[00:12:12]>> Thank you. Can I just have a happy Mother's Day?

[00:12:14]>> Oh, thank you.

[00:12:17]>> In the end, Quinette Perry avoided immediate prison time, but the judge made it clear this wasn't just a simple mistake. She was sentenced to 1 year in state jail, suspended for 3 years of probation, ordered to complete 200 hours of community service, anti-theft classes, regular drug testing, and strict probation conditions. The judge's message was simple. Being a parent means acting like the adult in the room. And now, one bad decision could change her future forever. If you enjoy real courtroom cases and intense judge moments like this, make sure to subscribe because the next case might be even more shocking.