State may change Fournerat sentence

The state gave Judge Alonzo Harris notice Tuesday that it reserves the right to move to correct his house arrest sentence for Glynis Fournerat, who attempted to hire a man to kill her estranged husband and his girl friend.

“There is no provision in the law for a house arrest,” said Assistant Attorney Gen. Matthew Derbes.

The AG’s office took over prosecution of the Fournerat case in the spring of this year.

She pleaded no contest in July to the solicitation for murder charges.

According to La. Revised Statute 14:28.1 the penalty for solicitation for murder “shall be imprisonment at hard labor for not less than five nor more than 20 years.”

“The suspension mandate is not applicable and the court will deviate,” Judge Harris said before pronouncing sentence, noting Glynis Fournerat is a first time felon “who is truly remorseful for her actions and the possibility of it happening again is minimal.”

The state did not voice an opinion one way or the other regarding what the sentence should be prior to the judge’s decision. That was the state’s agreement with the defense when Fournerat changed her plea in July.

Apparently a deviation by the bench from the mandated sentence was not anticipated at that time.

When Harris then turned to the defense, it called Logan Fournerat and Lori Beth Johnson to the stand.

They confirmed they had received and signed letters asking for a house arrest sentence provided Glynis Fournerat meets certain conditions, which were not divulged at Tuesday’s session.

Instead of the formerly presumed mandatory minimum five-year imprisonment on each count or the maximum 20 years per charge, the sentence was 10 years, each count, concurrent, with six years suspended; of the four remaining one is to be served in the parish jail, with credit for time served since her arrest, and completed before the house arrest begins.

Under Harris’ conditions, Fournerat must wear an ankle bracelet monitor and cannot leave the house except for any scheduled civil or criminal court appearances and for medical emergencies.

Where she will live was not stipulated. She resided in University Place prior to her arrest.

Her visitors during the three years are limited to her three children and immediate family.

At least part of that family was present for the sentencing, exchanging hugs and greetings with the defendant in the hour hour she waited in the courtroom for the proceedings to play out.

Dressed in jailhouse orange, her brown hair pulled back in a pony tail and wearing no makeup, Fournerat appeared outwardly calm, though as the hour approached she frequently dabbed tears from her eyes, as did several women in the audience.

Glynis Fournerat was arrested in October 2009 after solicting an undercover St. Landry Parish deputy to kill the husband and Johnson.

That culminated months of extraordinary behavior as the marriage broke apart.

Her case now moves to Acadia Parish, where she pleaded guilty in July to aggravated burglary.

The judge there set a 10-year cap on sentencing when he ordered a pre-sentencing investigation.