Ex-OC Attorney Gets Jail Time For Role In Planting Drugs In School Aide's Car
SANTA ANA (CBSLA.com) — A former Irvine attorney will serve 120 days in jail for her role in a plot to plant drugs in a school volunteer's car.
In a plea deal, 40-year-old Jill Bjorkholm Easter, a Berkeley law graduate and author, pleaded guilty Wednesday to false imprisonment.
Ex-OC Attorney Gets Jail Time For Role In Planting Drugs In School Aide's Car
Although she was technically sentenced to a year in jail, a judge stayed a portion of the term. Easter was also ordered to perform 100 hours of community service.
Officials said that in 2011, Easter, along with her husband, Kent, planted Vicodin, Percocet and marijuana in the car of Kelli Peters, whom they falsely claimed left their son alone in an after-school daycare program at Plaza Vista School.
Kent Easter, who is scheduled to go on trial next week, is the one accused of placing the drugs in Peters' car and who called police to have her arrested.
Among the evidence expected at his trial is security tape, cellphone records and text messages.
"We believe Kent Easter's cell was pinging at or near the victim's address in the early morning hours on the evening the drugs would have been planted in the victim's car," Senior Deputy District Attorney Christopher Duff said in June 2012.
Also on Wednesday, the court issued a restraining order against Jill Easter to keep her away from Peters.
"Mrs. Peters and her family have been living in fear of what the Easters might do next. This is obviously an extreme case with despicable actions," Peters' attorney, Rob Marcereau, said.
Easter must report to jail on Dec. 27.
(©2013 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)