But prosecutor Tim Taylor said Painter blamed the alcohol for what she did. Painter should have known the consequences of driving while impaired considering she had been ejected from a car after overdosing on oxycodone five weeks before the head-on crash, Taylor said.

Prosecutors and Newton's mother had suggested prison time, but Esplin said the trial wasn't just about punishment but about Painter changing her life.

"If your purpose for punishing the defendant is to make you feel better, that's not going to happen," Esplin said. "You are still going to have that loss — there is nothing to do to replace it. (Painter) has owned up to this, and she has gone through this process with the idea of trying to help others and make sure she doesn't and others don't (drink and drive)."

Along with the jail time and 36 months of probation, Laycock made it clear to Painter that she was not to have any alcohol on or near her during this time. She said Painter couldn't even live in a place where alcohol was present.

E-MAIL: slenz@desnews.com