DIANA SHORT PLEADS GUILTY

Former Lincoln Police Cpl. Diana R. Short pleaded guilty Thursday, formally
admitting she grew marijuana in the basement of her home and conspired with
her daughter to manufacture methamphetamine.

Short, 46, faces at least nine and up to 37 years in prison. She will be
sentenced at 11 a.m. Oct. 6.

According to the plea agreement reached between Logan County State's
Attorney Tim Huyett and her defense attorneys, assistant public defender
Joel Diers of Lincoln and her hired attorney Fredrick Schlosser of
Springfield, Short pleaded guilty to specific charges in exchange for
others being dismissed.

The agreement did not address any specific sentencing recommendations.

She pleaded guilty to unlawful criminal drug conspiracy, a Class X felony,
stemming from a thwarted plot between Short and her 22-year-old daughter
Brianna Strohl to manufacture meth to raise bond money for Short, who was
being held in lieu of $7,500 at the Logan County Safety Complex.

The other charges to which she pleaded guilty stem from evidence Illinois
State Police recovered at Short's former residence in the 500 block of
North Hamilton Street during a raid in December.

Those charges include unlawful manufacture of marijuana with the intent to
deliver, a Class II felony; official misconduct, a Class III felony; filing
a false affidavit, a Class IV felony; and two Class A misdemeanors for
possessing illegal firearms.

In exchange for Short's plea, Huyett agreed to dismiss seven drug-related
criminal felonies, according to court records.

Those charges include controlled substance trafficking and unlawful
manufacture of a controlled substance, both Class X felonies; criminal drug
conspiracy and unlawful possession of methamphetamine manufacturing
chemicals, both Class I felonies; unlawful manufacture of marijuana and
solicitation, both Class II felonies; and unlawful production of marijuana
plants, a Class III felony.

During their raid, police recovered 25 marijuana plants, psilocybin spores
capable of developing into hallucinogenic mushrooms and three illegal
handguns in the basement of the house that were owned by the former cop and
her 41-year-old husband, John Short.

An anonymous tip to Illinois State Police spurred the raid.

John Short faced nearly identical drug charges to those lodged against
Diana, until the first week of August, when Huyett filed the meth
conspiracy charges against Diana and Strohl. He pleaded guilty to growing
marijuana and the mushroom spores Aug. 4 - the day after Diana and Strohl
were arraigned on the conspiracy charges - and was sentenced to six years
in prison by Associate Circuit Judge Charles Feeney.

Because the conspiracy charge was part of an additional case levied against
Short while she was awaiting trial on the marijuana and mushroom charges,
any sentence imposed for that conviction must be served consecutively to
any incarceration from the initial case.