Conneaut: Jail time shaved if defendant leaves town

CONNEAUT -- Plea agreements are nothing new to the legal system, but some are more unique than others.

Irene Metcalf, of Conneaut in Ashtabula County, was able to shave 150 days off her jail sentence in exchange for an agreement that calls for her not set foot in Conneaut's city limits for five years.

"All parties are happy," says her attorney Malcolm Douglas. "But she can't come back to town for five years, unless she's granted permission from the court."

"This isn't that unusual," says City Prosecutor Luke Gallagher. "This happens maybe 15 to 20 times a year."

Some in the local legal circles call it the "out of town by sundown" rule. The defendant must agree to the removal from town, otherwise it would be unconstitutional.

In September, Metcalf allowed a group of teenagers to drink alcohol at her home. When police arrived, they saw her disposing of the evidence -- a felony.

She was also charged with providing the alcohol, a misdemeanor.

In exchange for the plea, authorities dropped the felony charges, and 150 days off her potential jail sentence.

Her attorney says she was already planning to relocate to Pittsburgh to be closer to an ailing family member, so the relocation wasn't a big sacrifice.