Sierra, still jailed, pleads not guilty

Sierra in court this morning with her attorney, John Fitzgibbons. [Ken Helle | Times]

Jessica Sierra multimedia report
View our extended transformation photo gallery, watch video of Sierra's first appearance in which the judge suggests she find a "new form of entertainment," and watch surveillance video from the night of her arrest.

*  * *

TAMPA -- Former American Idol runner-up Jessica Sierra appeared in court this morning and pleaded not guilty to new misdemeanor charges picked up last weekend after what authorities have described as an alcohol-fueled meltdown outside an Ybor City nightclub.

She denied violating probation stemming from previous battery and cocaine possession charges. Her attorney, John Fitzgibbons, said he doesn't anticipate contesting the charge down the road, but asked for time to present some options to the court.

"There's a very significant drug and alcohol dependency issue here," Fitzgibbons said.

The judge set a new hearing for Dec. 20.

Sierra, 22, will remain jailed until that hearing.

Police say Sierra spewed racial epithets and offered to perform a sex act on a police officer in a failed attempt to avoid arrest.

- Colleen Jenkins, Times staff writer

[Sierra's booking photo on right; Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.
On left, Sierra during her American Idol run in 2005; handout photo]

Comments

[Damien]

Wish I was in Ybor that night. Party on.

[S]

Entertainment tonight has a great website....oh, wait, is this the St. Pete Times?? The war must be over considering the garbage that has dominated this paper this week.

[Joe]

Were am I when all this going down???

[bill]

Did she call the officers crackers before or after she puked on herself and offered oral sex? Way to make it 2 weeks on your probation!!!

[Officer Hammer]

had i been on duty that night, non of this would have hit the papers and christmas would have come a little early for me.

[Officer Hammer]

i think her lawyer in the top photo is trying to cut his own.

[don]

hi everyone

[Floyd]

This young lady needs to do some time in a hard core womens prison. She has no respect for herself or anyone else. This is the problem with young kids today. The law says we can't touch them & discipline them & then they wonder why these kids grow up thinking the world owes them & they owe nothing. Discipline is a joke nowdays.

[MELISSA]

Office Hammer you are the EXACT reason why people don't like the PO PO! I DEF have no resoect for alot of you hypocrites! Scarry that cops (if you even deserve that much respect)patrol our streets!

[Dagger Don]

Melissa,

i think officer hammer is a fictional name. You need to relax Melissa, come over to my place and i will relax you!!
:)))

[Karlos]

Jessica has done so much for Tampa, I can't believe this is happening. Mayor Iorio is her relative evidently. She needs to get her out so she can sing for Tampa again!!!

[Jeff]

This girl is an unmitigated disaster. Her and Elijah Dukes would make a perfect fit. The St. Pete Times has sunk to an all-time low with their zeal for this story. But I must admit, we're all reading it so keep it coming! Can't wait for her next melt-down and court appearance!

[Saint Nick]

Melissa, I am crossing you off my list this year. You have been a bad girl in your orange jumper. No, I will not bring you keys to your cell so you can escape. You need a bit more time in timeout yourself. -Santa

[Teri]

I guess Jessica hasn't learned that once you get caught your done, you'll get snagged every time you do anything! Way to lay low... NOT. She's not the sharpest knife in the drawer!

They should put her in the slammer and throw away the key.

[Mark]

Just how do you spell "personal responsibility"? What's amazing is how many defend the actions of someone whose life (and perhaps others) could tragically end because she's not in control of her actions.

Book her Danno.

[Torrance]

The sharpest tool in the shed she's not. She has an incredible amount of entitlement, and for what? She's accomplished nothing and is a mediocre singer. Yes, she's hideous, but not on the outside, on the inside. She is a truly disgusting human being and I'm glad the officer rebuffed her oral sex offer. Good for him.

[Joey]

Dr. Drew really worked wonders. I'll be shocked if she's not dead inside of a year.

[MELISSA]

Yeah yeah yeah! WHATEVER! First of all I don't wear orange jumpers second "Saint Nick" your a dumb a-- . Get a life!

[Rick Dees and the weekly top 40]

cocaine's a helluva drug

[Tony L]

This is such a sad story, but I choose to focus on the positive aspects instead of the negative. You know what, the officers involved should be given commendations for doing the right thing and arresting her and not accepting her invitation for fellatio! Again, kudos to the officers involved for showing great restraint, avoiding temptation, and keeping us safe!

[Confused]

How come when she violates probation, bail denied until court?
How come when Debra violates probation, she is sent home....
Debbie prettier than Jess?

Because Debbie is chaste and pristine compared to the filthy and raunchy Jess.

[Tracy]

If Deb Lafave made that offer to the cops, there's no way they would have turned it down! They would have accepted with open arms ALL DAY LONG!

[Thomas E. Vandorphan]

When she gets out, she may have an opportunity to make a living in hard core pornography, but she'll have to better her appearance in the meantime.

[frank]

commendations for restraint? temptation? keeping us safe? what are you talking about?

[Jack Meoff]

Usually in before and after pictures you go from worse to better, not better to worse. Personification of white trash.

to frank - i think tony is suggesting that the cops should be praised for not accepting sexual favors from an arrestee...it's possibly the stupidest comment i've ever read.

[MELISSA]

Personally I think Lafave is somewhat average looking... nothing all that great about her appreance! She has nice eyes that's about it!

Lafave has nice eyes and a BOOMING body. She seriously makes Sierra look like a man.

[MELISSA]

Nah, she has no curves at all! I disagree! She has the figure of a man except for the what looks like fake ta ta's.

[vinny]

I think Steve and officer Hammer should hook up.

[Tiffany]

If you were to ask me to play word association, and the subject was Jessica Sierra, I'd respond '7-11 toilet seat' or 'condemned and rat-infested mobile home'...She is just beyond gross and is evil.

[RAMROD]

I am surprised the mayor hasn't leaned on the courts or worked something out in the back room to have her released and the charges dropped. After all Pam Iorio is her aunt, and Jessica made sure the arresting officer knew how powerful her family is in Tampa.

If you want to see another picture of Jessica Sierra, just look at the caption ZOO STORY. She's on the right.

[boyle]

I'm wondering what the ribbon that accompanies the commendation for turning down oral sex would look like and where it would be placed on the uniform? Help me out Tony!

[Dellane]

She is a very sick and troubled person in the last stages of a severe addictions and has engaged in some truly disgusting behaviors...but she's not evil. That term should be reserved for murderers, rapists, and others who willingly hurt others when they're in their right mind. Jessica once was, as many have said, a sweet girl who was great with kids, sang at charity benefits, and was friendly and kind to everyone who crossed her path. At some point, she made a huge and stupid mistake to try a very dangerous substance even once and is now so addicted to that substance that her humanity is quickly sliding away. There are lots of lost souls like her out there - far too many - only her minor celebrity means we get to see the full meltdown via police reports, etc. Just as colorful reports appear daily in just about any city's police records, but those folks were never on the overhyped sensation known as American Idol. She clearly needs rehab for several years - and even then it's not a good prognosis - but she also clearly needs lockdown for several years. I suspect the Jessica of old would be as disgusted with the person she has become as most of us are.

[Dellane]

She is a very sick and troubled person in the last stages of a severe addictions and has engaged in some truly disgusting behaviors...but she's not evil. That term should be reserved for murderers, rapists, and others who willingly hurt others when they're in their right mind. Jessica once was, as many have said, a sweet girl who was great with kids, sang at charity benefits, and was friendly and kind to everyone who crossed her path. At some point, she made a huge and stupid mistake to try a very dangerous substance even once and is now so addicted to that substance that her humanity is quickly sliding away. There are lots of lost souls like her out there - far too many - only her minor celebrity means we get to see the full meltdown via police reports, etc. Just as colorful reports appear daily in just about any city's police records, but those folks were never on the overhyped sensation known as American Idol. She clearly needs rehab for several years - and even then it's not a good prognosis - but she also clearly needs lockdown for several years. I suspect the Jessica of old would be as disgusted with the person she has become as most of us are.

She's in the last stages of severe addiction?? The girl is 22 years old. How long has she been drinking?? Give me a break. She is a brat who covets attention and that's it. You don't enter the last stages of alcoholism at age 22.

[Bill]

I recall one time I was coming out of Penn Station in New York, and a weak excuse of a prostitute asked me, "Can I show you a good time." She was obviously a junkie, and likely a bearer of disease. I'm a reasonable person, so I thought about her offer, and said, "I don't think you could."

I think my fear of disease would prevent me from taking up the same kind of offer allegedly made to the arresting officer. This is skanky material.

[Saint Nick]

Note to Santa: Bring Melissa the Every Girl's Lesbo Handbook....and a hacksaw to saw out of jail. You know she's just be incarerated herself and turned butch.

She's been drinking since she was 13, but that's not the substance I was referring to when I said severe addiction...

[Otherwisereally don'tcare]

re: Pic gallery. I guess blondes really do have more fun.

[Tante Emma]

Again, a bowl of my homemade chicken soup will be a good start to her recovery. Big chunks of chicken, carrots, celery, special broth, spiced just right and simmered very slowly with an occasional stir and my watchful eye.

[Kevin]

Anyone who believes anything in a police report is a bloody fool. Those are just designed to protect cops from liability by fabricating their own version of events. They are unreliable they aren't even admissible in court!

[Kevin]

Anyone who believes anything in a police report is a bloody fool. Those are just designed to protect cops from liability by fabricating their own version of events. They are so unreliable they aren't even admissible in court!