A 41-year-old Twin Falls woman pleaded guilty Monday in Blaine County 5th District Court to two counts of delivery of methamphetamine for drug sales last March to a police confidential informant.
Lisa Christine Justice was one of nine suspects indicted in June by a Blaine County grand jury on various felony drug charges investigated by the Blaine County Narcotics Enforcement Team and Idaho State Police Investigations in Jerome. Cases are still pending against the other suspects.
Justice was originally charged in an indictment with one count of delivery of methamphetamine and one count of trafficking in methamphetamine. She was also facing a sentence enhancement for being a persistent violator because of past criminal convictions.
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In a plea agreement with Justice, the Blaine County Prosecuting Attorney's Office agreed to have the trafficking charge reduced to delivery and to have the persistent violator charge dismissed. Drug trafficking is considered a more serious offense because it involves larger quantities of a drug than delivery and is punishable by a mandatory prison sentence. The persistent violator offense is punishable by up to life in prison.
In court Monday, Justice admitted to selling methamphetamine on March 29 and again on March 30 to a confidential informant working with the Narcotics Enforcement Team. She said both sales occurred at Guffy's convenience store in Bellevue.
Judge Robert J. Elgee scheduled sentencing for 11 a.m. on Dec. 19.
Justice was brought to court from the Twin Falls County jail where she is being held on a separate felony charge of possession of a controlled substance. Bond has been set at $100,000 in the Blaine County case and at $25,000 in the Twin Falls County case.
Terry Smith: tsmith@mtexpress.com
Lisa Christine Justice
