A mother of two from Hamilton was sentenced to six months of house arrest yesterday after she pleaded guilty to 20 counts of procuring alcohol for minors and 25 counts of reckless endangerment of a child.
The charges stem from a house party held last St. Patrick's Day, at which Jana Houston provided alcohol to her 12-year-old son, 15-year-old daughter, and other area youths.
Charges are also related to several incidents between January and March of 2007 during which minors allegedly performed "Jackass"-style stunts, such as lighting fireworks and jumping off a 10-foot roof, while Houston was present and, in some cases, encouraged them.
Police learned there would be a party at Houston's house and set up surveillance. They saw area youth arrive and Houston pick up alcohol at a package store, said Steve O'Connell, a spokesman for the Essex district attorney.
Houston will have to wear an electronic monitoring device during her house arrest, followed by five years' probation.
During her probation and house arrest, Houston will not be allowed to use or possess alcohol, will be subject to random screening, and will have to undergo drug, alcohol, and mental health treatment and evaluations. She will also have to write letters of apology to the youths involved and is not allowed unsupervised contact with minors outside her family.
Houston's guilty plea was part of an arrangement, O'Connell said. Probation officers will stay in touch with her to make sure she follows the terms of her sentence.
"The sentence recommended by District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett was both strict and compassionate," said Houston's lawyer, J.W. Carney Jr. "He recognized that Jana was misguided, but ensured that she would be punished by house arrest and a lengthy probation.
"District Attorney Blodgett sent a powerful message that parents must be role models who enforce the law when it comes to kids and alcohol," Carney said.
Houston could not be reached.
