A woman who stabbed another woman outside a downtown Vancouver bar will serve 10 more days in jail after a Clark County Superior Court judge on Thursday declined to follow the attorneys’ agreed-upon sentencing recommendation.
The prosecution and defense attorney for Erin Lauris Fee, 37, recommended a 90-day sentence, with credit for 75 days served. She could serve the remaining 15 days on a work crew.
However, Judge Bernard Veljacic said that after hearing “strikingly different accounts” from the victim and Fee, he was unsure of what kind of message he’d send by handing down a one- to 15-day work crew sentence.
“I don’t check my discretion at the door,” he said, adding that he is “quite concerned” about Fee’s use of a weapon, even if it was in self-defense as she claimed.
The Vancouver woman had pleaded guilty earlier in the hearing to an amended charge of third-degree assault stemming from the June 25 stabbing. She was initially charged with second-degree assault with a deadly weapon.
Court records show that the incident began after Fee approached a group of people at about 1:15 a.m. outside a bar in the 600 block of Main Street. Deputy Prosecutor Aaron Bartlett said Thursday that Fee apparently knew someone in the group, and a hug or some kind of contact was exchanged.
The victim, identified in court records as Tammie Jones, 39, told police that Fee came into the bar and was causing problems. She said Fee left after being asked to go, but she then stood outside on a nearby corner. Jones said when she approached Fee again and told her to leave, Fee pulled out a black folding knife and stabbed her three times, according to a probable cause affidavit. She suffered puncture wounds to her stomach, thigh and arm, and was treated and released from a hospital.
Several people reportedly tackled Fee to the ground and held her until police arrived. Jones’ cousin sustained several cuts to his fingers and hands while trying to subdue Fee, the affidavit states.
Fee allegedly told police she stabbed Jones because the woman was going to fight her, court records said.
Bartlett said although the prosecution believes Jones’ version of events, the case would be difficult to take to trial because Fee planned to claim self-defense, and Jones did approach Fee more than once.
The victim, who was present in court and goes by a different last name now, said she was only trying to protect Fee by asking her to leave. She said a person she was with that night and Fee had problems in the past.
“I didn’t do anything to this woman. I don’t see how she can claim self-defense,” she said.
Fee told the judge she never intended to hurt anyone and that people in the other group were being verbally abusive. Fee left the bar, she said, because she didn’t want problems.
“That night was the worst night of my life,” she said. “They came out after me.”
Fee, through tears, said she repeatedly asked the woman to leave her alone but that she attacked her, and others joined in.
“I panicked. I didn’t know what to do,” she said.
Veljacic told Fee that even if she was acting in self-defense, using a knife was an overreaction.
In addition to jail time, Fee will serve 12 months of community custody, and must undergo substance abuse and mental health evaluations and treatment.
