A woman accused of conspiring to have her ex-girlfriend violently attacked in January has been sentenced to serve four years in prison.

Tanya Lee Doll, 40, appeared in Northwest District Court in Minot Monday, where she pleaded guilty to a charge of criminal conspiracy to aggravated assault, a Class C felony. Doll was originally charged with criminal solicitation to murder, a Class A felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison, after she drove a 15-year-old boy to the victim's residence in the 700 block of Riverside Drive in Minot to assault her.

The boy used a homemade knife provided by Doll and stabbed the victim, who was taken to the hospital for treatment for her injuries. Doll also went to the hospital, and while she was there she contacted the Minot Police Department to tell them she had information about the assault. When police interviewed her at the hospital, they said Doll admitted her role in the attack.

Ward County State's Attorney Roza Larson said the victim and her family had been informed of the plea agreement that was negotiated between her office and Doll's attorney, Ryan Sandberg, and were satisfied with the state's recommendation of five years in prison, with one year suspended for 10 years of supervised probation.

A two-year minimum mandatory sentence applies to the sentence due to the use of a knife, as well as the 85 percent rule, which applies to a violent offender regardless of whether a weapon is used.

Sandberg said Monday that Doll wished to waive any presentence investigation and move straight to sentencing.

"She would like to get down there wherever it might be and serve her time as soon as possible," Sandberg said.

Nonetheless, Sandberg argued that the statutes did not include the term "conspiracy" in their language, and that neither the mandatory minimum nor the 85 percent rule should apply. He asked for a five-year sentence with three suspended.

"She didn't do the actual crime," Sandberg said.

"The state respectfully disagrees," Larson said. "The most important point is for the victim to feel safe. And she will definitely feel much safer with the defendant incarcerated for four years."

Judge Richard Hagar, however, agreed with Larson's rationale that conspiracy demands that the defendant be treated as if they had committed the physical action themselves.

Hagar asked Doll if she had anything to say before he imposed sentence.

"I just wanted to say I was sorry for what I did," Doll said.

Hagar said that he was aware that by accepting the plea agreement, the victim would be spared the trauma of going through a trial.

"But my guess is that the victim agreed (with the plea bargain) with the expectation that you would be doing some time," Hagar said.

He then sentenced Doll to five years, with one year suspended for 10 years of supervised probation, with the 85 percent rule in effect. Thus, Doll will have to serve more than three years and four months in jail. The extended probationary period also provides that Doll will be "on the hook" while making considerable restitution in the case, which was mentioned in court as being around $5,000, not including medical bills.

"I think it's important to have this over your head because of the egregiousness of the crime," Hagar said.