Ludington woman sent to prison for perjury, probation violation

Elizabeth Whitaker with her attorney, Al Swanson, Jr.

By Allison Scarbrough. Contributing Editor.

LUDINGTON — A 29-year-old Ludington woman was sentenced to two to 15 years in prison for convictions of perjury and probation violation in 51st Circuit Court Tuesday, Dec. 15.

Elizabeth Marie Whitaker wept as Judge Susan K. Sniegowski handed down the sentence, which required that she immediately be taken into custody.

Whitaker’s attorney, Al Swanson Jr., requested that his client report to jail to begin her sentence this evening, so she could say goodbye to her daughter.

Sniegowski denied the request. “Those are the consequences of your choices,” the judge said. “I feel very bad for your daughter.”

The judge noted that Whitaker violated probation six times. “These offenses show me you weren’t interested in following the terms of your probation,” she said. Whitaker’s prison term “takes into consideration the severity of lying under oath,” Sniegowski said.

“I just want to apologize to my family,” said Whitaker. “I want to apologize to my daughter, because this is not the life I pictured for her.”

Whitaker testified last October that she lied under oath during a February court proceeding regarding the Jason Patterson meth case. She was asked specifically if she had contact with Patterson, and she said no. Whitaker said she lied under oath, because she was in contact with him.

Whitaker received credit for five days served in jail in the first file and 365 days served in the second file. She received two concurrent prison terms of two to 15 years. The judge revoked her probation.