Woman's stabbing sentence will stand

A state appellate court won't reduce a prison sentence for an Ogdensburg woman convicted of stabbing a former boyfriend.

Kathleen A. Ross, 46, was convicted in September 2008 on a charge of second-degree assault and was given a three-year prison sentence. The guilty plea in St. Lawrence County Court satisfied attempted second-degree murder, first-degree assault and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon charges. She is serving her prison term at Taconic Correctional Facility.

She was accused of stabbing Kendall R. Cohen in the chest during an argument at her apartment on Feb. 22, 2005, in the city of Ogdensburg.

The Appellate Division of state Supreme Court in Albany on Thursday ruled that "County Court afforded defendant numerous opportunities to comply with the conditions of her probation and address her substance abuse problems, which she failed to do."

The court also concluded her "lengthy criminal record and the violent nature of her conduct" didn't warrant her prison time being reduced.

She pleaded guilty to second-degree assault in October 2005 in County Court. Judge Jerome J. Richards placed her on one year of interim probation, which she successfully completed. The judge sentenced her to five years' probation in November 2006.

In September 2008, Judge Richards resentenced her to three years in state prison for violating her probation. She admitted to being kicked out of two drug rehabilitation programs, being charged in February 2008 with second-degree obstructing governmental administration and being drunk in May 2008.

Ms. Ross has a parole hearing scheduled for October and has a conditional release date of Dec. 19, 2010, according to state corrections records.