A federal judge this week convicted a Gardiner [MT] woman who encouraged her toddler daughter to smoke marijuana. U.S. District Judge Richard Cebull Wednesday found Jessica Durham, 23, guilty of distributing marijuana to a person under the age of 18 years. Durham will be sentenced April 20 by Senior U.S. District Judge Jack Shanstrom. She faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Cebull's ruling comes after a one-day bench trial on Oct. 27 in which a key prosecution witness described how she photographed Durham holding a water pipe while her 18-month-old daughter put her mouth over the top. The water pipe, called a bong, allows smoke to be drawn through water into a glass tube and inhaled.
The witness, Brandi Nichols of Gardiner, turned Durham in to authorities along with the photographs. The photographs were entered as evidence.
Durham did not testify at her trial, and the defense called no witnesses. Defense attorneys Robin Hammond and Zachary Cain argued that there was no proof that marijuana was in the bong. And they suggested that the photographs could be of Durham taking away the bong rather than offering it to her toddler.
Details here from the Billings Gazette. (via el chadder)