[1]Rachelle L. Braaten pleads guilty to “delivery” of marijuana in Lewis County Superior Court.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – The Centralia mother who was captured on cell phone video offering up a marijuana bong to her toddler’s mouth was sentenced today to six months in jail.
Rachelle L. Braaten, 24, admitted what she did as part of a plea agreement, and the judge went along with it.
Lewis County Superior Court Judge James Lawler called the recommendations appropriate, given the particular facts of the case.
Lewis County Deputy Prosecutor Shane O’Rourke and defense attorney Sam Groberg told the judge what Braaten did involved a foolish lapse of judgement by a young mother while in the company of pot smokers in her home.
“It was at least those things,” Lawler told Braaten. “You’ve got to take care of your child.
“Being a parent means you have to protect your child; hopefully you’ve learned your lesson.”
Braaten and the boy’s father were arrested in early March.
Centralia police initially said they went to the home on the 1400 block of Delaware Avenue to confiscate marijuana plants, but court documents described the anonymous video they received as the primary reason for law enforcement’s visit to the home.
No charges have been filed in connection to the marijuana plants; the deputy prosecutor said it turned out there was evidence 25-year-old Tyler J. Lee was validly prescribed medical marijuana and validly providing it for a second person.
According to the documents, Braaten told police she knew she shouldn’t be giving her son a hit off the bong, but felt “peer-pressured.”
She has no criminal background.
The video [2], which caught the attention of a worldwide audience on news sites, includes the sound of laughter from a number of people as the child approaches the marijuana smoking device which the mother is holding, and when his mouth gets close to its top, the little one rears back and coughs.
Braaten pleaded guilty today to delivery of marijuana, which carried a sentence of zero to six months, as well as a violation of a no contact order.
The charge which was dropped – delivery of a controlled substance by a person over 18 to a person under 18, domestic violence – has a standard sentencing range of 51 to 68 months.
“Our big thing is once she takes responsibility for what happened, I don’t think she needs to be subjected to the high sentencing range,” O’Rourke told the judge.
Both of her sons were taken by Child Protective Services initially. It wasn’t discussed in court where they are now.
Under the terms set forth by CPS, Braaten began attending parenting classes at Centralia College, which stopped when she was put in jail for violating the no contact order last month, O’Rourke told the judge.
Lawler said she could have contact with her son under the conditions allowed by CPS, but he made it part of the court order she continue parenting classes.
He implored her to embrace the course as an opportunity to become the very best mother possible.
“You’re young, you don’t have a lot of experience,” the judge said. “There’s a lot to be learned.”
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For background, read “Police: Marijuana smoking toddler taken from Centralia parents” from Friday March 8, 2013, here [3]