A woman accused of leaving her young children home alone for several hours has pleaded guilty to two counts of child abuse or neglect.

Jennifer Hoerner, 21, entered the pleas to South Central District Judge Tom Schneider on Thursday at the Burleigh County Courthouse.

Schneider gave Hoerner a three-year deferred imposition of sentence and three years of supervised probation.

"I'm a little bit reluctant to give you a deferred sentence, but I'll do it," the judge said.

The sentence was recommended by Burleigh County Assistant State's Attorney Cynthia Feland and agreed upon by Susan Schmidt, Hoerner's appointed defense attorney. The two attorneys differed on whether Hoerner should be made to pay $550 in court fees. Schmidt said her client is unemployed and unable to come up with the money.

Schneider ordered Hoerner to pay the $550 in fees.

"You're going to have to pay the fees,"he said. "Get out there and get a job."

Hoerner also will have to complete a nurturing class.

Police were called to an apartment at 1101 Westwood Drive at 9:55 p.m. March 19 after a neighbor reported hearing children crying in an apartment and seeing through a propped-open door that the children were alone.

Officers found a 3-year-old boy and a 2-year-old girl home alone in the apartment, which Feland said was covered in trash and had a full toilet that had not been flushed recently. Police took the girl to the hospital, where it was determined that she had a 101-degree fever, Feland said.

Hoerner was arrested when she returned home later that night. Feland did not know what time Hoerner returned home.

Hoerner now lives in Dickinson with her parents. Schmidt said Hoerner is cooperating with social services.

The children initially were placed in the custody of Burleigh County Social Services and now live with their father in Dickinson.

Schneider asked Hoerner where she was that night.

"I was just driving,"she answered. "I didn't go anywhere in particular."

(Reach reporter Jenny Michael at 250-8225 or jenny.michael@;bismarcktribune.com.)