What Our Readers Think: DePersia Jailed After Alleged Probation Violation

On April 10, Patch reported that less than three months after , Charlotte DePersia, 59, of East Hampton was by Judge William Condon in lieu of $500,000 cash bail for allegedly violating her probation by having two drinks at Gurney’s Inn in Montauk on March 10.

A court-ordered ankle monitor registered a blood alcohol level of .039 percent, consistent with consuming two glasses of wine, prosecutors said at DePersia’s arraignment Tuesday at the Arthur M. Cromarty Court Complex in Riverside.

Patch readers had a lot to say about the incident.  The following is a round-up of some of their comments. Add to the conversation by posting a comment below.

said, "Time to pay the price for bad decisions; bye now .... she had many chances to change. She'll now learn the hard lesson life is to teach her; behind bars."

asked, "She must have KNOWN that her consumption of the wine would have been recorded by her monitor and thus violate the terms of her probation. What was going on in her mind at the time?"

said, "Alcoholism is recognized as a disease from a legal standpoint, however driving while intoxicated is a crime. I spent 1 1/2 years in Riverhead / Yaphank county jail for DWI offenses. I'm an alcoholic & hit my personal low while in jail, which allowed me to begin my recovery. I've been sober for 4 1/2 years & trying to lead a productive life. I was 59 years old when I spent my first night in Riverhead jail. I guarantee you Ms. Depersia had the worst night of her life last night. Outside of a miracle & based on my experience, I believe she will spend 2 to 4 years in an upstate prison which houses people with addictions. She will receive treatment here. The key here is for her to hit her low & desire recovery. If not, she will probably die from her disease."

said, "Keep your comments to yourself, it can happen to anyone."

said, "A small fraction of the idiots that suffer from drinking problems have a medical anomaly. The majority suffer from stupidity. It's a choice to drink or not."