KALAMAZOO, MI – Had she complied with the terms of her bond and a judge's sentencing agreement in a drunken-driving crash that killed two of her friends, Kari Braley likely would have walked out of the Kalamazoo County courthouse Monday with only a lengthy probation term in front of her.

Instead, she will spend the next six months in the Kalamazoo County Jail.

Braley, 25, learned her sentence Monday from Kalamazoo County Circuit Judge Alexander C. Lipsey during a hearing that included emotional victim-impact statements from Wendy Dove, the mother of Brittany Despins, 22, and Jeff Chaffin, the stepfather of Trevor Stuck, 23.

Despins and Stuck were killed Nov. 18 in a crash on the U.S. 131 Business Loop that occurred while Braley was at the wheel.

“The idea, quite honestly, is that this is a very serious matter,” Lipsey said. “This is a very serious situation and … she also needs to understand that her behavior going forward has to be modified.”

Braley, who sobbed as she learned her sentence on Monday, pleaded guilty Aug. 16 to one count of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated causing death in connection with the fatal crash. As part of the plea agreement in the case, a second count of OWI causing death and one count of OWI causing serious injury were dismissed.

Assistant Prosecutor John Anderegg told Lipsey on Monday that when the judge took Braley’s plea, there was a Cobbs agreement with the court that Lipsey “would probably not incarcerate her.”

Anderegg also said Despins’ and Stuck’s families had initially not wanted Braley to be incarcerated for her actions and were “hopeful that they could salvage Kari.”

However, Anderegg said that all changed when, between Aug. 16 and Monday, Braley violated the terms of the Cobbs agreement by driving a vehicle even though her driver’s license had been suspended in connection with the case.

“She has to take responsibility for herself now in light of what happened,” Anderegg said. “… Incarceration does appear to be warranted in this case and we’re going to leave it to the court’s discretion.”

The case against Braley, who had been free on a $2,500 personal-recognizance bond, stemmed from two separate crashes that occurred just before 3:20 a.m. on Nov. 18 on the Business Loop just north of Kalamazoo.

Stuck, a paramedic for Pridecare Ambulance, and Brittany Despins, an emergency medical technicial for Pridecare, were ejected from Braley's Sebring.

Stuck died at the scene. Despins died five days later at Bronson Methodist Hospital.

After Braley’s car crashed, Marykay R. Macquarrie, a nurse on her way home from a shift at Bronson, and Laura Misner, a Kalamazoo County sheriff’s deputy and retired Kalamazoo Public Safety officer, stopped to help at the scene.

Macquarrie, Misner and Braley were tending to Stuck at about 3:24 a.m. when another driver, Margaret Robinson, 23, of Portage, lost control of her Jeep on the same curve and struck Macquarrie, Misner and Stuck.

Robinson pleaded no contest on Sept. 17 in Kalamazoo County District Court to one count of committing a moving violation causing death. The misdemeanor charge is punishable by a maximum sentence of one year in jail.

Robinson is scheduled to be sentenced Wednesday by District Judge Paul Bridenstine. Two misdemeanor counts of committing a moving violation causing serious impairment of a bodily function are to be dismissed when Robinson is sentenced.

On Monday, prior to handing down Braley’s sentence, Lipsey heard from Dove and Chaffin, as well as Braley.

“I just want to say how much I miss my friends, how I wish every day that I could take back what happened to them,” Braley said. “… I live with the guilt every day of what I did to them. I will live with the guilt.

“I would never wish this upon anybody and I’m so sorry to the families. I cared about them so much.”

During her remarks, Dove expressed concern about Braley violating the terms of her bond and the Cobbs agreement and told Lipsey, “I’m worried that another mother might be standing here dealing with what I’m dealing with at her hand again.”

“I can’t explain to you what it feels like to lose a child and nothing she does will ever bring them back and I’m not seeking that,” Dove said.

When it he got his chance to address Lipsey, Chaffin spoke lovingly of Stuck and told Lipsey, among other things, of his stepson’s “charm” and incredible sense of humor.”

“As far as my wife, she’s devastated,” said Chaffin, who was accompanied at a courtroom lectern by his wife, Lynn Chaffin. “A big piece of her heart was lost that day. He was the apple of her eye … She’ll never overcome his loss.”

Chaffin told Lipsey that in the initial victim-impact statement he submitted to the court, Stuck’s family made clear their feelings that they did not see any benefit in Braley being sentenced to jail.

He said Stuck’s family was disappointed after learning of Braley’s violation of her bond and Cobbs agreement and told Lipsey, “We wish her nothing but the best going forward but we know the law has to be served too.”

Stuck’s father, Gary Stuck, who gave a statement Monday by phone, told Lipsey he wanted Braley to serve some time behind bars for the violations.

“She needs to be held accountable for her actions,” Gary Stuck said. “I am deeply disappointed and angered by the defendant’s continued poor decisions.”

Lipsey noted Monday that the Michigan Department of Corrections called for a minimum sentence for Braley of more than two years in prison.

However, in giving Braley jail time, Lipsey said he was taking into consideration that, although the families of Despins and Stuck advocated for incarceration on Monday given the violations committed by Braley while awaiting sentencing, they also still believed an alternative sentence was warranted.

In addition to her jail sentence, Lipsey, among other things, ordered that Braley complete 100 hours of community service and wear an alcohol tether for six months after her release from the county jail.

He also ordered Braley to pay restitution in the case that, as of Monday, amounted to $12,886.

Braley sobbed Monday as county sheriff's deputies led her from the courtroom.

Rex Hall Jr. is a public safety reporter for the Kalamazoo Gazette. You can reach him at rhall2@mlive.com. Follow him on Twitter.