Quintana Sentenced To Probation, Ordered To Pay Fine

A year of probation and a $4,000 fine.

That’s what former city Rep. Rachel Quintana was sentenced to Thursday for forging her former Fed-Ex supervisor’s signature in 2007 in order to use discounted Southwest Airlines tickets.

Initially the sentence was read that Quintana would spend a year in jail along with that hefty fine, prompting her sister to say from across the courtroom, “God, are you kidding me?”

But shortly after that the word “suspended” was read, making it clear Quintana would not spend a day in jail for the crime.

“I think the sentence was very appropriate for what the jury found her guilty of doing,” Assistant District Attorney John Briggs said. “They didn’t feel it was necessary to lock her up in jail and recommended the sentence be suspended, that she be on probation. So, she’ll be on probation for the next year.”

As for the maximum fine being imposed, Briggs said. “It wouldn’t surprise me if they took into consideration the amount of cost that’s been involved in prosecuting this case over the last four years. So I don’t think that’s inappropriate.”

Quintana’s attorney, Stephen Peters, argued that his client had already suffered enough with public embarrassment during her term on City Council. But she still got the max sentence and fine from a jury of six women anyway, although the jail time was suspended.

Asked if he thought the sentence was stiff due to who Quintana was, Briggs said, “I don’t know that played a very big role in the punishment for this offense,” Briggs said.

Peters declined to speak on camera afterward but gave this statement: “We’re disappointed in the verdict,” he said, “but we respect the jury’s decision. Now Ms. Quintana is going to pay the price that is being required of her and move on with her life.”

When asked what kind of message this sends to people who forge signatures, Briggs said, “I think it tells them if you’re going to forge a document and try and use that document for financial gain somewhere … that if you’re caught you will be prosecuted. It’s not something we will let go.”

As part of her probation, visiting Judge Stephen Abels told Quintana she would have to serve one hundred hours of community service.

Quintana kept her composure during the entire sentencing phase, although she did shed a few tears after the sentence was read.