NY POST: No New Trial For Annabi and Jereis

Yonkers duo jailed for bribery won’t get new trial
By Rich Calder

Both former Democratic Yonkers City Councilwoman Sandy Annabi and her mentor, former Yonkers Republican Chairman Zehy Jereis, demanded a retrial in December, saying their case should be retried after it was revealed by the feds that a key government witness whose testimony helped convict them in 2012 was busted in a separate bribery scheme.
But Manhattan federal Judge Colleen McMahon sided with prosecutors who argued that businessman Franco Milio’s damning testimony against the defendants was corroborated at trial by additional evidence.

More.

200 trees being offered to Yonkers residents

If you can make it to the Hudson River Museum on Saturday, you might get a tree! 
MAYOR SPANO AND CBC JUNIOR GIRL SCOUTS TROOP #1814 ANNOUNCE YONKERS GREEN CITY TREE GIVE-AWAY 
200 Trees will be offered to Yonkers Residents
Yonkers, NY – October 17, 2013 – Mayor Mike Spano announced the City of Yonkers, in partnership with the CBC Junior Girl Scouts Troop #1814, will host a Yonkers Green City Tree Give-Away on October 26^th at 9:00 am at Trevor Park (Warburton Avenue in Yonkers). 

200 trees, made available through a National Wildlife Federation grant received by the CBC Junior Girls Scouts Troop #1814, will be distributed to Yonkers residents on a first-come-first-serve basis. Proof of residency is required. Additionally, the City’s Parks Department will plant several trees at Trevor Park.
“Yonkers has been a Tree City USA for 26 years and efforts like these continue to support the environmental health of our city and sound forestry management," said Mayor Spano. "Congratulations and thank you to the CBC Junior Girl Scouts Troop #1814 and the National Wildlife Foundation for providing this great opportunity for the residents of Yonkers." 
As part of their journey toward receiving the Girl Scout Bronze Award, Troop #1814 researched ways to counter the negative effects of tree loss on the environment, particularly in the City of Yonkers which suffered the loss of hundreds of trees during Superstorm Sandy and subsequent severe storms. Under the leadership of Troop Leader Irma Pereira, Troop #1814 applied for a National Wildlife Foundation grant and was excited to learn just a few weeks later that their application was accepted, awarding 200 trees for planting in Yonkers.
"The CBC Girl Scouts are determined to create an awareness of conserving and caring for our environment," said Junior Girl Scouts Troop #1814 Leader Irma Pereira. "In partnering with Mayor Spano, Yonkers’ Parks Department and the Yonkers Board of Education, we are using this opportunity to assure that an idea, and the courage to try and make a difference, can help all."
In addition to offering 200 trees, the Green City Tree Give-Away program offers an educational component for residents attending the event who will participate in a presentation on proper ways to plant, maintain and care for trees. For additional information please contact the Yonkers Parks Department at (914) 377-6427. 

New Yonkers Amphitheatre: Tonight: Free Jazz!

Yesterday the Hudson River Museumopened up the new city amphitheatre right beneath the museum.  It's a 450 seat outdoor theatre, which will be programmed by the Hudson River Museum.

Last night before the fireworks, the Yonkers Philharmonic opened it up with a concert, followed by fireworks. 

(Of course, as it turns out, the fireworks were not visible from the Amphitheatre, as the band shell blocked it, so everybody had to get up and leave, but what the heck.)  And the concert ended late, so the fireworks started late. 

The theatre seems nice, although the sound system seemed a little underpowered.   It was difficult to hear the microphoned speaker from just above the theatre.

The event was invitation only, (and I was surprised I wasn't invited!)  but there were plenty of seats available.  (And many people sat up on the hill and listened for free.  I expect that to be a constant)

Tonight, the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra will play some big band repertoire from 7-8:30 pm.  These are talented high school musicians who recently played at the Monterey Jazz Festival.

Enter the Amphitheater at the bottom of JFK Memorial Drive. There is ample free parking in Kennedy Marina just beyond the entrance.

There will be more free jazz at the amphitheatre this summer

July 12: Rebecca Coupe Franks Quartet 7- 8:30 pm 
July 19: Laurie Dapice Quartet 7 - 8:30 pm
July 26: Teri Roiger Quartet 7 - 8:30 pm 

Here's a full list of summer scheduled events.  And to help those that are not yet members of the museum, from July 5 through August 24, the Hudson River Museum will be open FREE on Friday and Saturday nights from 5 to 7 pm. thanks to Entergy. 

Jazz in July Fridays     7 – 8:30 pm

Friday, July 5 
Monterey Jazz Festival, Next Generation Jazz Orchestra
Exciting compositions from the contemporary big-band repertory, directed by Paul Contos and performed by highly-talented young musicians to celebrate the 55th anniversary of the Monterey Jazz Festival.

Friday, July 12 
Rebecca Coupe Franks Quartet 
New York-based trumpet player Rebecca Coupe Franks plays jazz festivals around the world, among them Saratoga Springs and Detroit, and has worked with Bill Cosby, Herb Ellis, Joe Henderson, Lou Donaldson, Virginia Mayhew, and others.

Friday, July 19 
Laurie Dapice Quartet
A jazz vocalist, Laurie sings favorites from the American Songbook with a rhythm quartet. She has performed in New York City’s well known jazz venues, including the Dream Hotel, NYC's Night Hotel, the Lexington Hotel, the AlhambraBallroom in Harlem, and the Apollo Theater.

Friday, July 26
Teri Roiger Quartet
A jazz vocalist, Teri also plays piano, composes music, and writes lyrics, and shares her love of music with students at SUNY New Paltz.

Drama Saturday     7 – 8:30 pm

Saturday, July 13 
Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival presents Othello 
One of Shakespeare's most-loved tragedies in an abridged version, performed by a young and talented company, illuminates the tragic story of a brilliant man manipulated by his most trusted confidant and driven to murder. Set in the present in and around two army bases in Venice and Cyprus, the production explores domestic life in the military. Seven actors play multiple roles to focus on the lasting consequences of jealousy, racism, and deceit.

Friday Night Films in August     8 - 10 pm

Friday, August 2
The Wiz
A spectacular movie version of the hit Broadway musical based on L. Frank Baum's classic The Wizard Of Oz. Diana Ross and Michael Jackson head an all-star cast in a lavishly mounted production driven by Quincy Jones' high energy music as Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion go to see the Wiz.
Starring Diana Ross and Michael Jackson. Directed by Sidney Lumet. Universal Pictures. Rated G, 133 minutes. 1968.

Friday, August 9
Singin’ in the Rain
Considered by many to be the finest musical of all time, it tells the story about movies changing from silent to talkies and includes the famous songs "Make 'Em Laugh" to “You Were Meant for Me" and "Singin' in the Rain."
Starring Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, and Donoad O’Connor. Directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen. Turner/MGM. Not Rated. 102 minutes, 1952.

Friday, August 16
Annie
Little Orphan Annie dreams of the day when her parents will rescue her from evil but her dreams are dashed when she discovers her family was killed in a fire. Annie finds happiness with millionaire "Daddy" Warbucks , who falls in love with the precocious little red head.
Starring Albert Finney, Carol Burnett, and Aileen Quinn. Directed by John Huston. Columbia Pictures. Rated PG; 128 minutes; 1982.

Friday, August 23
Hairspray 
In this screen version of the Broadway play of the same name, Tracy Turnblad is a plump teenager pursues stardom as a dancer on a local TV show and rallies against racial segregation.
Starring John Travolta, Queen Latifah, and Michelle Pfeiffer. Directed by Adam Shankman. New Line Cinema. Rated PG. 117 minutes. 2007.

August Alternative Music Saturdays     7 - 8:30 pm

Saturday, August 3Sonnyboy
A four-piece group, Sonnyboy, led by Shel Riser, is One of the best unsigned bands to come out of Minneapolis…” according to Rolling Stone. The high-energy band blends fun, R&B, hip-hop, and rock.

Saturday, August 10
Cliff Eberhardt
Known for his songwriting, expressive singing, and skillful guitar playing, plays a set of acoustic folk music. He released his first album in 1990 and composed original music for the Folger Shakespeare Library’s Folger Theater production of Taming of the Shrew.

Saturday, August 17 The Sweetback Sisters
Describing themselves as a “renegade retro band,” whose members play fiddle, guitar, upright bass and percussion. They mix country, swing, honky tonk, and rockabilly music for a unique sound.

Saturday, August 24 Cheick Hamala
Lecturer, storyteller, and choreographer, Cheick Hamala Diabate plays the n’goni, a West African lute and mixes traditional West African sounds with American ones. He has appeared at the Smithsonian Institute, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Fest. 

Family Summer Sundays     2 - 3 pm

Sunday, July 14 Arm-of-the Sea presents the Rejuvenary River Circus 
A story that features masks and puppets, a hand-made set, and live original music. Follow Malakai along his journeys where he encounters a host of creatures, and then his journey back to health with the aid of his granddaughter.

Sunday, July 21 Joey Berkley Trio
Saxophonist, composer, and educator, Joey Berkley co-founded the Westchester Jazz Orchestra and directed Bedford’s Fox Lane Middle and High School jazz ensembles.

Sunday, July 28 Spin, Pop…Boom! Mad Science
Witness amazing feats of chemistry and explore spectacular reactions and produce demonstrations with the use of catalysts! Be amazed while you learn.

Sunday August 4 Birds of Prey
Master Falconer James Eyring and his live birds of prey show history of falconry and the habits and adaptations of raptors. Audience invited to ask questions.

Sunday August 11 Family Talent Show!
Local talent curated by The Purple Crayon Center, host of the music series Live! @ TPC. Acts: music, comedy, dance, and more! Children, teens, and adults, 10 years and up, interested in performing, submit samples of their work (recording quality not important) to The Purple Crayon at info@purplecrayoncenter.org.

See the full schedule of events at:  http://www.hrm.org/amphitheater.html

Today! Dig Into Legos at Riverfront Library from 1-3 PM

On July 3 from 1-3 pm, you can meet Master Model builder David Howard from Legoland Discovery Center, build a crazy Lego challenge, have your photo taken with it and have it emailed to you. 

You can also check out the very cool Grand Central Terminal Lego replica which will be on display at at the Library, and check out some of the cool Lego books the Library has to offer.

For children ages 6 and up.  Children under 8 must be accompanied by an adult or an older teen sibling.

At the Riverfront Public Library, One Larkin Center.

http://www.ypl.org

Yonkers Ukrainian Heritage Festival

The Annual Ukrainian Heritage Festival - now in its 28th year - showcases the Ukraine and its people.

The festival features rides, vendors and an array of performers. There will also be vendors offering Ukrainian musical CDs and videos, gifts and clothing. There will also be plenty of authentic Ukranian cuisine, including varenyky, holubtsi and Chicken Kyiv-meals.

The festival began Friday with the Vox Ethnika/Band from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.   It continues today Saturday June 15 from 1-10 pm and Sunday June 16 from 1-7 pm

 The festival is held on the grounds of St. Michael's Ukranian Catholic Church, at North Broadway and Shonnard Place.

More info: 
http://www.yonkersukrainianfestival.org

And here's a bio of some of the performers from their website

Yonkers Home Town Guy As Top Cop

James Comey, former Bush official, to become Obama's new FBI director, sources say

President Barack Obama is preparing to nominate former Bush administration official James Comey, a Yonkers native, to head the FBI, people familiar with the decision said Wednesday.

VIDEO: Yonkers Artists Showcase 2013

Artist Paul Greco takes us on a video tour of the annual Yonkers Artists Showcase 2013. This Exhibition includes Paintings, Collages, Sculptures, Constructions, Mosaics and Photography.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dw4lXuE1nX0

58th annual St. Patrick's Parade in Yonkers

Celebrate a great tradition - The 58th Annual Yonkers St. Patrick's Parade right here in Yonkers Downtown!

 Sunday, March 3rd, 2013 at 1:30PM   2013 Grand Marshall William P. Harrington

 Aides to the Grand Marshall include: Michael Bennett, Eileen Collum, Kathleen Ennis, Joseph Hallinan, Thomas Meier, Kenneth O'Brien, Ronan O'Brien and Mary Teague of the Tyrone House in downtown Yonkers.

 Parade Route: South Broadway @ Radford Street to Getty Square.

Reviewing stand on South Broadway at Hudson Street.
Enjoy dining and celebrating in Yonkers Downtown afterwards! 

There will also be the second annual McLean Ave Parade on March 23.

More information: http://yonkers.dailyvoice.com/events/st-patricks-day-parades-set-step-yonkers

New Yonkers Restaurant - Guapo

Downtown Yonkers is slowly but surely becoming a nice haven for food, arts, and entertainment.

Newest on the scene is Guapo Cucina Mexicana, a gourmet and upscale Mexican restaurant. 

Guapo means handsome, and the food is very beautifully prepared.

Yonkers corruption case, Annabi, Jereis get prison terms

A convoluted corruption case reached a charged endpoint yesterday, as former Yonkers Democratic City Council Member Sandy Annabi was sentenced to six years in prison, while her political ally, mentor, and "sugar daddy" benefactor, former Yonkers Republican Chairman Zehy Jereis, was sentenced to four years.

Both sentences were significantly less than prosecutors requested, though far more than the defense attorneys sought.

U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon, in imposing the sentence from her Lower Manhattan courtroom, stressed the duo's effort to cover up evidence in the case, which involved Annabi's vote flips in 2006 to support Forest City Ratner's giant Ridge Hill retail/residential project and another, unbuilt project known as Longfellow, as well as Annabi's convictions on tax and mortgage fraud counts.

Annabi, who chose not to testify in the trial that began last February, made an emotional presentation to the court yesterday, before breaking down, unable to finish her remarks.

"I see the error of my ways," declared Annabi, reflecting on her acceptance of continuing support from Jereis. "I wish I was not so trusting or naive... I was starting for attention, affection and someone to take care of me and give me guidance." 

"There is no exception to corruption for a hard-knock life," McMahon later declared, acknowledging but not excusing Annabi's cloistered upbringing in a rough section of Yonkers. "The sad thing is, there is so much in your record that is inspiring."

"A public official can never, ever be obligated to anyone other than their constituents or conscience," the judge added, saying Annabi had been corrupted by taking Jereis's cash and gifts, even if only two compromised votes were detected.

Beginning in 2002, Jereis provided Annabi with some $194,000, including a $60,000 loan promptly repaid, but ultimately gained at most $35,000 from Annabi's vote flips, including $15,000 from a $60,000-a-year no-show consulting job Forest City essentially gave him as a reward.

(Here's coverage from the New York Times, the Journal News, Daily News, and Post. U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said in a press release, "Today’s sentencing of Sandy Annabi and Zehy Jereis turns the page on a sordid chapter in the history of the great City of Yonkers."  The Journal News editorialized that Annabi seemed to recognize that the public deserved better from her.)

Appeal hopes

Though the jury agreed that Annabi was willing to change her vote in 2006 at Jereis's behest, even as he sought that job from Forest City, the judge expressed doubt about the prosecution's theory of a "five-year Don Corleone conspiracy" in which Jereis, who'd been steadily bestowing funds on Annabi, finally called in markers.

"The fact that you did nothing for five years makes this case incredibly complicated, in my mind," McMahon said, addressing Annabi. "I have no idea that, as early as 2002, that you had already reached an understanding with Mr. Jereis," she said, but declared that Annabi made herself vulnerable by making a "Faustian bargain" with her mentor.

The judge said she thought the evidence on the other counts was much stronger. (In court, she expressed far more skepticism than in her decision last week refusing to overturn the jury's verdict, in which she had to defer to the jury's selection among competing inferences.)

While McMahon criticized Annabi and Jereis, she left the defendants, who face a March 4 trip to prison, with hope for a partial appeal, opining that there was a "close question as to whether a federal crime was committed" regarding the first two counts, a long-running conspiracy to make corrupt payments and to deprive the city of Yonkers of honest services.

The jury was instructed to conclude that, even if Jereis's payments were motivated in part by friendship--he said he was in love with Annabi, though it was not reciprocated--a mixed motive that included corrupt intentions was no defense.

(McMahon wrote last week that there were alternative explanations for the concealment of payments, including that Jereis was a married man aiming to carry on a long-running dalliance, and Annabi was a tax cheat concealing under-the-table income.)

A Ridge Hill boost

While Forest City Ratner apparently did not have an observer present, as it had during the trial, McMahon tossed the developer a large bone, suggesting there "was no evidence the public fisc of the city of Yonkers suffered any harm" from Annabi's actions and that Ridge Hill "arguably led to a good deal of public good."

She was echoing arguments made by Journal News columnist Phil Reisman but not grappling with the notion of "opportunity cost"--that the tens of millions of dollars in tax breaks the developer is getting could be deployed another way.

Forest City's concession to Annabi, a "political parachute" in the words of former Forest City official Scott Cantone, was a $10.8 million payment to the city, which even a project supporter called "peanuts." Deal opponents wanted $10 million a year for 30 years.

Forest City was not charged in the case; there was no evidence the developer knew Annabi was obligated to Jereis because of the secret payments, though Forest City had been told all roads to the Councilwoman went through Jereis.

Just before the trial, Forest City Ratner's Governmental Affairs Executive VP, Bruce Bender, left the company. His deputy Cantone left shortly after the trial, in which both testified on behalf of the prosecution, revealing behavior by the developer that was non-criminal but likely represented questionable corporate conduct. The duo now run Bender Cantone Consulting.

Emotional moments

In trial summations, Annabi's then-lawyer told the jury that if they concluded she'd been leading on a sugar daddy, it was wrong, but not criminal. (Prosecutors stressed that evidence, including a plethora of calls on dealmaking day and testimony from an Annabi pal, suggested the relationship was all business.)

Yesterday, Annabi was contrite: the opportunity for service to the community, she said she now recognized, was much more significant than an upgraded plane ticket or pricey jewelry--among the gifts Jereis bestowed, partly thanks to the bribe in the Longfellow project.

Annabi, as indicated in her pre-sentencing memo, said she'd acted as a mother to her younger brothers after her parents went to prison and now serves as a parent to her aging parents. "I accept any punishment you impose," Annabi declared, sorrowfully. "I just wish I could spare my family the pain."

"I can't finish this," she said, sitting down and ripping her prepared remarks in two. From the packed courtroom gallery, divided Hatfields and McCoys style into supporters of each defendant, Annabi's father stood up and asked to address the court. Annabi's lawyer, Edward Sapone, walked back to him and indicated that such an intervention was impermissible.

Jereis, who testified at length during the trial, claiming he was infatuated with Annabi and flatly denying several statements by prosecution witnesses, declined to address the court regarding sentencing.

Though Annabi seemed frail and fragile--and was described by her attorney as having an addiction to Xanax, among other substances--as the three-hour sentencing concluded, she displayed the spitfire personality she brought to Yonkers Council meetings.

She walked over to the counsel table where Jereis sat. "You're going to be a bitch inside," she muttered bitterly to her long-term ally, referring to his fate in prison. (The New York Times reported this as, "In rather pointed and colorful terms, Ms. Annabi offered an opinion of how Mr. Jereis might be treated by fellow inmates.")


Prosecutors' case

The hearing began with a presentation by prosecutors. "The real victim here was the city of Yonkers," Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Halperin declared. Annabi lied on disclosure forms about not getting benefits from Jereis and not living in the Council District she served, thanks to financial assistance from Jereis.

"Nobody knew the city Republican chair had such sway over a Democratic officeholder," he said. "She likely had a disqualifying conflict of interest" regarding Ridge Hill, he added, and thus would not have been allowed to vote on the project.

Annabi, he said, sold her vote for a Rolex watch, a diamond necklace, business-class airline tickets, and a Mercedes-Benz--all of which came, at least indirectly, through Jereis.

While many supporters had written on behalf of Annabi, Halperin said, many more people are tired of corruption. Annabi and Jereis, he said, collaborated on concocting bogus emails professing his love for her. "We submit that the 'love defense,'" Halperin said, "was an insult to the jury's intelligence."

 (A prosecution expert testified that there was evidence of tampering but couldn't be definitive that the emails were fake. McMahon said she believed the emails were created in an effort to cover up the conduct of Annabi and Jereis.)

Assistant U.S. Attorney Perry Carbone argued that Jereis deserved a tough sentence. Jereis, he said, "was a kingmaker in Yonkers politics or, in this case, a queenmaker... What we have here is a somewhat of a de facto public official."

After all, Carbone noted, one of Annabi's aides testified that part of his job was to "keep Mr. Jereis in the loop" regarding city business.

Annabi's defense

The issue, declared Annabi attorney Sapone, was "what sentence is sufficient but not greater than necessary." He noted that only 34% of corruption sentences surveyed met federal guidelines, with the rest downgraded.

Other corruption cases cited by prosecutors, he noted, showed public officials shaking down friends, creating fake invoices to get public funds, and skimming from nonprofit groups--not taking cash from an ally, as did Annabi. "The $200,000 does not come from an orphanage," he said.

"What is bizarre to me," Sapone said, is that the jury found "there was a meeting of the minds" in 2002 that Annabi would act on Jereis's behalf. After all, nothing happened until June 2006, and the support continued afterward, though Annabi never acted again.

"Mr. Jereis does not look that stupid to me," Sapone declared, suggesting he had other motives.

"This woman did so much good and for some many years before and after," he asserted. "That is what makes her different." He said a psychiatrist's analysis included in his pre-sentencing memo was included not to excuse misconduct but to explain Annabi's behavior.

Jereis's defense

Jereis's attorney, Anthony Siano, stressed that the jury found Jereis received a maximum of $35,000 from corrupt activities for which he was convicted.

The jury, he said, could conclude that a substantial amount of money given to Annabi came from Jereis's personal funds and that "there was a mixed motive here."

The judge speaks

After the attorneys had their say, McMahon challenged prosecutors for saying that citizens who hate corruption are not the sort to write letters supporting a call for tough sentences. "I disagree," she declared. "I believe lots of citizens are fed up with public corruption, and I have not received one letter."

(Then again, the letters supporting the defendants were obviously solicited by their lawyers, and prosecutors, to my knowledge, do not routinely recruit people to write letters condemning corruption.)

McMahon chided Annabi not just for making a deal with Jereis but for failing to pay taxes and obtaining mortgages with phony documentation. "They seriously enhance your criminality," she said, adding that those crimes, along with the Longfellow case, were the factors most important to her sentencing decision. (That implied Ridge Hill was less important.)

"Mr. Jereis," the judge said, addressing him directly, "I won't know what to make of you. Whether you were infatuated with Ms. Annabi or setting it up, you had to have known it was wrong, as it would create in her a sense of obligation."

"You are good to your own," McMahon said of Jereis's support for family, friends, and co-workers, as evinced in a pre-sentencing memo prepared by his lawyer. "Problem is: you define your own very narrowly."

"I am painted by the collateral damage that will be done by imprisoning these two individuals," McMahon said, referring to pre-sentence memos that both defendants have aging parents who rely on them. But public corruption, she said, was a crime that requires deterrence via a jail term.

She agreed that the other cases cited by prosecutors were not like this one, and suggested that the corruption in this case "fortunately, appears to have done no lasting damage."

Sentence details

Rather than require Annabi to pay back her entire Council salary, as prosecutors sought, McMahon limited it to the four months--$13,884--during which the misconduct clearly occurred. The judge noted that Annabi's ongoing failure to disclose gifts from Jereis was a violation of state, not federal law.

Both defendants face heavy financial penalties. As noted by prosecutors:

 ANNABI and JEREIS were each sentenced by Judge McMahon to two years of supervised release, and each ordered to forfeit $209,501.99. In addition, ANNABI was ordered to forfeit $1,060,800 [the proceeds of loans gained on false pretenses]. The defendants were also ordered to pay $13,884 in restitution to the City of Yonkers, representing a portion of ANNABI’s salary, and $64,071 to reimburse the City of Yonkers for legal fees. ANNABI was also ordered to pay $164,460.68 to PNC Bank. In addition, ANNABI was ordered to pay $33,000 for the costs of prosecution [on tax counts] to the United States Government. 

After McMahon pronounced the sentence, Sapone requested that Annabi be sent to federal prison in nearby Danbury, CT, and asked that she be placed in a drug treatment program.

Siano asked that Jereis be placed in a facility in proximity to his home in Westchester.

Defense attorneys said they'd appeal soon. That prompted skepticism from the prosecution, then McMahon's reciprocal skepticism regarding "the five-year Don Corleone conspiracy."

Finally, as the friends and family stood up, aiming to give succor to the respective defendants, Annabi approached Jereis and pronounced her own sentence.