A Millinocket woman who shot her husband as he lay in bed was ordered as part of her sentence Friday in Bangor to periodically be tested to verify that she is on medication for a psychiatric illness.

Several charges originally brought against 35-year-old Janice Nadeau, including attempted murder, were dropped in June, when she pleaded guilty to a single felony charge of reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon. On Friday, Justice Eugene Beaulieu sentenced her to three years, then suspended that and ordered four years of probation.

Nadeau was charged and taken to Bangor Mental Health Institute after she shot her husband, Mark Nadeau, at their Pamola Park home early in December 1989. Mark Nadeau was slightly injured and required no medical treatment. When police arrived to question Janice Nadeau, they had to call her from the bathroom, where she was taking a shower.

The couple now is in the process of getting divorce.

One condition of Janice Nadeau’s probation is that she consent, upon the request of probation officials, to testing that would confirm that she was still taking medication. The nature of her illness and the type of medication were disclosed neither in court nor in public records relating to the case. She reportedly was not taking the medicine when she shot Mark Nadeau last December.

Testing is required to verify the absence of drugs or alcohol more often than it is used to verify the presence of a drug. Deputy District Attorney Michael P. Roberts agreed it was infrequent, but said it was not unusual for a judge to require such confirmation.

Roberts agreed with a probation report that stressed the need for a probationary period, but the prosecutor, pointing out that she had come “very, very close to facing a life sentence,” also recommended some jail time for Nadeau to send a message.

But Beaulieu agreed with Nadeau’s attorney, Lawrence Lunn, that incarceration was unwarranted.

“I don’t think incarceration of five minutes is going to serve any purpose for Janice Nadeau,” Lunn told the judge. “I think she’s doing everything that she has the wherewithal to do to get her life back on track.”

As further terms of probation, Bealieu also ordered that Nadeau continue the psychiatric treatment she has been receiving and that she continue to live with her sister unless she has permission from probation officials to move.