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Woman gets six months in pit bull attack By CHRIS BRISTOL A 19-year-old mother of two sobbed in court Tuesday as she was sentenced to six months in custody at the Talent Work Center for siccing her pit bull on her aunt. Kristina Compher put her face in her hands as Jackson County Judge Ray White grimly explained his decision to incarcerate her immediately for the attack, which left her aunt with permanent scars on the stomach, groin and leg. "My babies," she cried. "Can't I say goodbye to my babies?" But Compher's children were not there. They have been in protective foster care since January, and the judge was unwilling to give her time to report to jail. "You have to be ready" at sentencing, he said. Compher was almost two hours late for court Tuesday, and has been late other times as well. Compher pleaded guilty to fourth-degree assault in connection with the attack, which occurred Sept. 4, 1998, outside her mother's home in south Medford. In exchange, prosecutors dropped charges of felony assault and reckless endangerment. Deputy District Attorney Debbie Minder said Compher intentionally unleashed the 80-pound dog on her aunt, Connie Thayer, who had tried to intervene in a fight between Compher and her mother. The dog, named Havoc, bit Thayer on the stomach and groin. Compher's father also was injured when he tried to stop the attack. The dog was later euthanized. Minder recommended a sentence of six months at the Talent lockup. She noted that Compher was convicted in 1995 of attacking her sister with a baseball bat and once head-butted her younger brother so hard that he suffered two black eyes and a broken nose. Then there was the issue of Compher's children. According to Minder, Compher was recently convicted of criminal mistreatment for removing her youngest child from a Klamath Falls hospital against doctors' advice. The child had suffered a fractured skull. Authorities still don't know how it happened, although they think Compher's fugitive boyfriend was involved. He is wanted on a warrant for vandalizing her apartment. Compher denied she ordered the dog to attack her aunt. "I do have a bad past," she said, "but I don't deserve to be locked up and kept away from my children." Judge White disagreed. "We don't want your children to grow up in a dysfunctional family, which seems to be your lifestyle," he said. "Your kids are going to suffer unless you change your behavior." After court adjourned, Minder said Compher is in danger of having her parental rights terminated unless she takes advantage of an in-custody program called Cognitive Restructuring. Minder said she reduced the assault charge to a misdemeanor to spare Compher's family the "turmoil" of trial. Based on Compher's record, a felony assault conviction would have resulted in a 19-month prison sentence. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA