By AARON MUELLER
Edwardsburg Argus

CASSOPOLIS – Cass County Circuit Court judge Michael Dodge said Amanda Mullen, convicted of attempted solicitation of Ecstasy, has a lot of “wasted talent.”

The 26-year-old Elkhart resident was working as a topless dancer at the former Escape Reality strip club in Edwardsburg when she attempted to sell Ecstasy to an undercover police officer in February 2009.

Since her arrest, Mullen, a mother of three, has worked hard to turn her life around, taking classes through adult education program at the jail.

The court received a letter from the adult ed program on Mullen’s behalf.

She has been getting As and Bs and shown great potential.

“I’ve never read a letter more favorable,” Dodge said.

Dodge gave Mullen a sentence in the middle of the guidelines, four months in jail with credit for 52 days served, in hopes she can truly turn her life around.

“The saddest part of what you are doing is what you are doing to your kids,” Dodge said. “If you really care about them, you need to make better choices.”

Mullen said she wants to be there for her children, who she has been separated from for 10 months.

She also plans to pursue “a career that makes a difference in people’s lives” after serving her sentence.