Jennifer Wilbanks Sheds the Blanket

From AP:

With her once-jilted fiance at her side, runaway bride Jennifer Wilbanks pleaded no contest Thursday to a felony charge and wept as she was sentenced to probation, community service and a fine.

"I'm truly sorry for my actions and I just want to thank Gwinnett County and the city of Duluth," a crying Wilbanks told the judge as she pleaded to a charge of making a false statement.

She was sentenced to two years of probation and 120 hours of community service. The judge also ordered her to continue mental health treatment and pay the sheriff's office $2,550.

If she successfully completes her probation, the felony will be erased from her record, Gwinnett County District Attorney Danny Porter said.

...Wilbanks was indicted last week on charges of making a false statement and making a false police report. She could have faced up to six years in prison and $11,000 in fines if convicted of both charges. The misdemeanor false report charge was dropped as part of her plea deal.

Wilbanks also could also have been ordered to reimburse authorities for the cost of the search, which has been tallied at more than $50,000. She's already agreed to pay part of the tab: On Tuesday, she said she would pay $13,250 to the city of Duluth, Ga., to help offset the overtime costs the city incurred searching for her.

"She's done everything that we would ask of her," Wilbanks' attorney, Lydia Sartain, said Thursday morning before sentencing. "She has accepted responsibility."

Porter called the plea "a good resolution of the matter under all of the facts of the case and taking into consideration Ms. Wilbanks' prior criminal record." Wilbanks had been convicted of shoplifting during the 1990s.

Jennifer Wilbanks was not hiding under a blanket today.

I'm glad to see that Wilbanks is being held accountable by the court for her escapade. It's also good to hear that she is receiving psychiatric care. God knows she needs it.

Wilbanks deserves to be commended for assuming responsibility for her actions. I believe that she is truly sorry.

I agree with Porter that her sentence seems to be a fair resolution to the "Runaway Bride" saga.

I do have some nagging concerns about John Mason, Wilbanks' fiance. While it's very compassionate of Mason to stand by her and offer support and love, I still would suggest that he think long and hard before tying the knot with Wilbanks.