'Teen Mom' Amber Portwood: judge accepts drug rehab plea deal, no jail for now

December was a bad month for Teen Mom Amber Portwood, but January was better, with an announcement made that she had come to terms on a plea bargain that could keep her out of jail, and February is still better, as the judge in the case has accepted the plea bargain deal.

As we expected, based on earlier reports, Amber Portwood was sentenced to five years in jail for drug and probation violations during a court appearance on Monday. However, the Teen Mom can stay out of jail,, if she can successfully complete an intensive drug rehabilitation program. For the time being, pending successful completion of the program, Portwood's sentence will be stayed.

The five year sentence was a combination sentence. Portwood was sentenced to three years for a December 2011 drug violation charge. She was caught with possession of prescription pills without proof of an actual prescription. She was also sentenced to two years, separately, for the violation of her earlier probation terms for her 2011 plea deal (yes, she had an earlier plea agreement) for assaulting, Gary Shirley, the father of her two-year-old daughter Leah and her on-again, off-again lover / fiance.

Until Thursday, Amber Portwood will be held in custody. Then, on that day at approximately 2PM, she will be transported to Madison County Drug Court, where drug officials will reportedly determine whether the reality TV star should --- and will --- be accepted into the rehabilitation program. That program could take up to three years for Portwood to finish, depending upon how long authorities order her to participate.

It is possible that the Madison Country Drug Court will conclude that Portwood is unsuitable for treatment in the program, and thus not eligible to enter the rehabilitation program. If that happens, the Teen Mom star would be able to return to court and withdraw her guilty pleas. Portwood would then be put on trial for the drug possession and probation violation charges.

If instead she is admitted to the program, Portwood would be released from custody and undergo treatment, but be able to live at home with her mother. If at any time she failed to meet the requirements of the program, she could be put behind bars and be forced to serve her full five-year sentence.

As we said, December 2011 was a bad month for Portwood. In addition to her arrest, which occurred on Dec. 19, she was served with an eviction notice from her landlord on December 20, the day after she was jailed. According to earlier details, it had been alleged in court filings that Portwood had somehow violated the terms of her lease agreement, but it is unclear what that means.

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

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