MEMPHIS, tenn. — Tabith Gentry has been sentenced to 14 years in prison, plus an extra 20 days for contempt of court.
Gentry, who is best known as a squatter and someone who does not acknowledge the legitimacy of the government, was found guilty in April of assaulting police officers.
Wednesday, after Gentry’s request for a new trial was denied, she said, “Every decision you make has a consequence.”
Despite an emotional testimony from her cousin, the judge said he had no reason to give her any less time.
When it comes to Gentry, an outburst in court has sort of become routine.
Her sentencing was no different.
The judge locked up the 34-year-old mother of six for 14 years for trying to run over Memphis police officer with her car.
“Then she led them on a six- to seven-minute chase,” Jessica Banti said.
Banti represents the state and said Gentry got what she deserves for the 2012 traffic stop fiasco.
“We feel like justice was done today in this case,” Banti said. “She has shown repeatedly that she has no respect for our laws and no one is above the law in the state of Tennessee.”
“I was really expecting probably a pretty high sentence, but I was more in the range of six to eight years,” defense attorney Claiborne Ferguson said.
Ferguson was hoping she at least got probation, but the judge wasn’t having it.
He said Gentry was disrespectful in court and showed no remorse for her actions.
Despite the judge’s comments, Gentry still smiled, laughed, and let out another outburst.
Judge Lammey slapped on ten more days for contempt of court on top of the ten she was already ordered to serve.
“Because of the seriousness of the offense, the fact that the victims in this case were police officers, and her behavior throughout the process, I don’t believe probation would ever be warranted for Miss Gentry,” Banti said.
Police say Gentry was in a car driven by her boyfriend when he was stopped in April 2012 for driving without a seat belt.
Gentry began yelling that the officer had no right to stop the vehicle and her boyfriend didn’t have to show identification.
Police say Gentry got out of the car, walked toward them while yelling, and refused to get back in the vehicle.
She was arrested for disorderly conduct.
Just six months later, Gentry had another run-in with police after officers pulled her over on South Bellevue for driving with no headlights.
She showed a Sovereign Citizen I.D., but her driver’s license had been suspended.
When police told her to get out of the car, they say she locked the doors, put the vehicle in gear, and ran into the officers.
They chased and then arrested her.
Gentry was convicted Wednesday of two counts of aggravated assault and one count of intentionally evading arrest in a motor vehicle.
If she is found guilty of theft charges stemming from squatting in a $3 million East Memphis house, she could face 25 more years.
