Yager gets probation for changing story

A woman who prosecutors believe took the blame for the man who beat her was placed on probation after changing her story, leading to dismissal of the charges against her alleged abuser.

?You know what to do,? said General Sessions Judge Larry Ross to sheriff?s deputy Todd Lassiter when alleged domestic violence victim Brittany A. Yager, 20, told the court she had lied about boyfriend Bryce Kenny Lynn Arnold, 27, striking her during a domestic dispute.

What the officer returned with was a warrant charging Yager for making a false report, with Yager later entering a plea to the lesser count of perjury. She will spend a year on probation, pay $50 plus court costs, and perform 32 hours public service work.

The sentence comes after Yager maintained Arnold jumped into her vehicle while she was trying to leave him and assaulted her. Specifically, she said he hit and kneed her in the face and bit her arm. Three people supported her original claim when the witnesses told lawmen they saw a man assaulting a woman inside a car in the Mt. Leo area.

However, when it was time to testify against Arnold, Yager claimed she had lied about the whole incident, telling the judge Arnold did not make the marks on her.

While her claim she was lying when she took out the warrants led to her being found guilty of perjury and the dismissal of charges against Arnold given the fact she would not testify against him, the court did not believe her story given the witnesses and bite marks on her arm.

The sentence is the latest handed down against people who have tried to retract their warrants in domestic abuse cases after taking out warrants. The court generally holds the alleged victim at least liable for court costs, if not liable for perjury, if they decide to back out of prosecuting their alleged abusers.