LIVINGSTON, TX (KTRE) -
A Polk County judge
sentenced a 34-year-old Livingston woman to seven years in prison for the March
27 shooting death of her live-in boyfriend, Gervin Polite. Judge Robert Trapp handed
down the sentencing on Dec. 27, 2012.
Dawn Marie Tipton was
booked into the Polk County Jail later that day. She will be held there until
she is transferred to a Texas Department of Criminal Justice prison to serve
her sentence.
Lee Hon, the Polk
County District Attorney, said Tipton pleaded guilty to manslaughter, which is
a second-degree felony. Trapp's ruling came during a contested sentencing
hearing in Polk County's 411th Judicial District Court.
Hon said both sides
presented evidence about what they felt Tipton's punishment should be. Even
though Hon had originally been seeking 20 years, the judge took into account
the facts that Tipton and Polite, her child's father, were involved in an
often-violent relationship and that she had no prior felony convictions to make
his ruling.
On March 27, 2011,
Polk County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to an early morning disturbance
call at Tipton's residence on Darden Rd., about five east of Livingston. When
the deputies arrived on scene, they found Polite, 31, lying dead on the front
porch. He had multiple gunshot wounds.
Tipton was found
inside the residence. Initially, she wasn't' charged with anything. She was
transported to the Polk County Sheriff's Office for questioning.
Justice of the Peace
Larry Whitworth pronounced Polite at the scene, and ordered Polite's body to be
transported to the Harris County Medical Examiner's Office for an autopsy.
Both Polite and
Tipton have criminal histories, with Polite's including driving while
intoxicated, assaults, and drug offenses. Tipton had two previous DWI convictions.
Tipton was indicted
for murder by a Polk County grand jury in June 2011. At that time, Lt. Craig
Finegan of the Livingston Police Department told East Texas News that they
evaluated the couple's history and ongoing family issues. The LPD worked with
the Polk County DA's Office on the investigation.
Tipton was bailed out
of jail by her attorney on a $25,000 bond.
Copyright 2013 KTRE. All rights reserved.
Daisha Tipton (Source: Polk County Jail)
