SMETHPORT – A Bradford woman was sentenced Wednesday in McKean
County Court to serve time in state prison for selling cocaine.

Brenda Morrow, 31, was sentenced to one to three years in state
prison and given credit for 234 days of time served and was ordered
to serve one year of consecutive probation for two different
criminal cases involving drug dealing.

“The reason she got into this behavior is her own drug
dependency,” said her attorney, Doug Garber, assistant public
defender. Prior to sentencing, he explained that Morrow wanted to
go to a halfway house for rehabilitation rather than be
incarcerated.

The charges Morrow had pleaded guilty to were that on Sept. 23,
she and Ray Patterson were at the Comfort Inn selling crack cocaine
from one of the rooms. While she was out on bail from an arrest on
that charge, she was arrested Nov. 10 by the McKean County Drug
Task Force who served a search warrant at her residence and found
drugs, scales, bags and scissors.

“One case of this type would pose significant issues,” said
Assistant District Attorney Christa Schott. However, in this
instance, Morrow was “let out on bail and continued the
behavior.”

She added that Morrow has shown “intense disrespect” for
everyone involved in the criminal justice system, including
probation officers she has dealt with and people at the jail.

Morrow also addressed President Judge John Cleland, apologizing
for her actions and saying she is a changed woman and a “law
abiding citizen.”

She acknowledged that she had been in an argument with another
inmate at the jail, but said she took the proper steps towards
making amends.

“I’d certainly like to take at face value what you’ve said,”
Cleland told Morrow.

However, the judge explained, her actions had proven that she
needs more treatment than is available locally.

“You were arrested for a pretty busy drug operation. Enough to
attract the attention of those around you,” he said to Morrow. “You
get out and go right back to it.”

As a condition of her sentence, he ordered Morrow to have no
contact with Patterson for the length of her sentence.

“The father of my child?” she asked.

“Yes,” Cleland said, explaining it was because Patterson was the
other person involved in the illegal activities with Morrow.