jessica sierra

Onetime American Idol finalist Jessica Sierra has discovered a new way to stretch out her 15 minutes of fame.

The would-be singer, who has been in a drug-treatment program in California after pleading no contest to cocaine possession, will be the subject of an episode of VH1's upcoming reality series Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, premiering Jan. 10.

She is one of nine participants on the show, which will be hosted by Loveline's Dr. Drew Pinsky; others include Andy Dick, Tom Sizemore and former wrestler Chyna.

Sierra, 22, was arrested Apr. 29 at a Tampa nightclub after hitting a fellow bar patron in the head with a glass.

Wisam Hadad said he had never met the singer; she in turn claimed he spat at her but later acknowledged she may have been mistaken.

She was sentenced Monday to 12 months' probation and random drug screening after pleading no contest to charges of drug possession and assault stemming from a barroom scuffle back in April.

Circuit Judge Gregory Holder also ordered her to complete her drug-rehab aftercare program and to follow it up with a second component.

Additionally, she was ordered to pay restitution to Hadad, who also has filed a separate lawsuit against her.

Sierra had hoped to enter a first-time offender diversion program, where the charges against her would be dropped after completion of her sentence, but Hadad objected, making her ineligible for the program.

Instead, the judge withheld a finding of guilt, meaning that the criminal charges will remain on Sierra's record, but she will not be considered a convicted felon as long as she completes her sentence without incident.

Sierra's attorney John Fitzgibbons said he was satisfied with the resolution of the case.

"It's a very typical resolution for a first-time offender with no criminal history," he told the AP.

In addition to appearing on Celebrity Rehab, Sierra is slated to perform at a Washington, D.C., concert for disabled veterans next month―provided her probation officers approve her travel plans.
Jessica Sierra
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Jessica Ann Sierra (born November 11, 1985 in Tampa, Florida) is an American singer and was the tenth-place finalist on the fourth season of American Idol. She was the third finalist eliminated, on March 30, 2005.

Contents [hide]
1 Biography
2 American Idol Performances
3 Post Idol
4 References
5 See also
6 External links



[edit] Biography
Sierra is from Tampa, Florida, and auditioned in Orlando. She was also a contestant on Star Search before auditioning for Idol, and was a nanny. Sierra started singing in church at the age of 3. As a teenager, she performed for Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush in singing and dancing ensembles. She first auditioned for Idol in the second season, but was rejected.

She was eliminated on March 30, during 1990s music week, after she sang LeAnn Rimes' "On the Side of Angels", surprising some fans since Simon Cowell had previously stated that she was one of the strongest female vocalists in the competition.

Sierra dated fellow American Idol 4 contestant, Nikko Smith for several months. In an April 2006 article in the Tennessean, Sierra confirmed the relationship but said the two broke up shortly after New Year's.


[edit] American Idol Performances
Week # Song Choice Original Artist Result
Top 24 Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now) Phil Collins Safe
Top 20 A Broken Wing Martina McBride Safe
Top 16 The Boys Are Back in Town The Busboys Safe
Top 12 Shop Around Smokey Robinson and the Miracles Bottom 3
Top 11 Total Eclipse of the Heart Bonnie Tyler Safe
Top 10 On the Side of Angels LeAnn Rimes Eliminated



[edit] Post Idol
A 59-year-old man from California was arrested on January 17, 2006 at the home of Sierra's grandmother. Tampa police reported that Daniel Young left at least 40 voicemail messages telling Sierra that he loved her and was willing to go to jail for her.[1] Sierra is cooperating with the United States Department of Justice's National Stalking Resource Center, and will be featured in a national campaign to promote awareness of the risks of and remedies for stalking; Diane Stuart, Director of the Office on Violence Against Women, United States Department of Justice, will be working with Sierra.

In late 2006, Jessica recorded a song, "Unbroken", for a Toys "R" Us Exclusive CD that came with the purchase of a Sony CD player. It was released as a single in early 2007.

Sierra lived a while in Nashville, Tennessee where she wrote and recorded with producer Nick Brophy. Brophy has worked with The Rolling Stones, Avril Lavigne and Phil Vassar. Jessica is also co-writing songs with Joy Vassar (the wife of the aforementioned Phil Vassar). Jessica is managed by Verge Management.

On November 19, 2007, Sierra was sentenced to 12 months probation after she pleaded "no contest" in a Tampa courtroom to charges of battery and possession of cocaine. Both charges stemmed from an April 29 incident at South Tampa's Hyde Park Cafe. Sierra was arrested at the nightclub after she reportedly threw a cocktail glass at a male patron, causing a cut above his eye. She claimed the man had spat on her, but later said she may have mistaken the victim for another person. After she was placed in the squad car that night, officers had to threaten her with leg restraints, a police spokesperson said, because Sierra was kicking at the car windows so hard the officers thought they would break. When Sierra was being booked into Orient Road Jail on an assault charge, police reportedly found a small amount of cocaine (less than 1 gram) in her purse. She was released later that day on $11,500 bail.

Represented by prominent Tampa attorney John Fitzgibbons, Sierra initially entered "not guilty" pleas to both charges and missed a scheduled court appearance on August 29, because she was reportedly in a rehab facility in California. Fitzgibbons stated that she had been at the facility since July. He would not specify what she was being treated for but said that it was a comprehensive program covering drug and alcohol addiction and other issues. The Tampa area newspapers later confirmed with a VH1 spokesman that Sierra had agreed to be part of a VH1 reality show about rehab. The program is being run by Dr. Drew Pinsky of Loveline and will debut on VH1 on January 10, 2008.