A 44-year-old Carson City woman who was reportedly drinking three to four pints of vodka a day in violation of her probation was sent to prison Tuesday.
"Three previous times I told you that you can't drink," District Judge Dave Gamble told Jennifer Taylor-Blocchi. "Three previous times you continued to drink almost to the point of killing yourself."
He told Taylor-Blocchi - on probation for a 2003 incident in which she rammed a Douglas County sheriff's cruiser - she needed to learn there were consequences.
She has had several parole violations for drinking. In January 2004, she was arrested with a .455 blood-alcohol content, a nearly fatal level.
In addition to the drinking, Taylor-Blocchi was behind on fee payments and more than $3,000 she owes for damage to the cruiser.
Gamble said he would rather not take up a bed at the women's prison for an alcohol-related offense, but he had no choice.
"The only thing I haven't tried is punishment," Gamble said. "I've been pondering what other choice I have. Every time I see her, she has a blood-alcohol content from near-death to .255."
The legal limit for driving in Nevada is .08.
In the most recent incident March 14, Taylor-Blocchi admitted she had been drinking and packed all her belongings in her car because she had no place to live. She said she climbed into the car to sleep.
"When I lost my job, things started to snowball," she said.
Probation officer Jennifer Stewart said Taylor-Blocchi told her for the past month, she had been drinking 3-4 pints of vodka a day and was having trouble finding a job.