6 years ago
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Drugs in Breast Milk Killed Baby, Mother Charged: DA
The mother of an 11-week-old who died April 2 in Bucks County has been charged with criminal homicide after the district attorney alleged that the newborn died from drugs transmitted through breast milk. Samantha Whitney Jones, 30, of New Britain Township, is being held on $3 million bail after an initial arraignment Friday. "An autopsy found that the baby died from a combination of methadone, amphetamine and methamphetamine, allegedly transmitted through Jones' breast milk," the DA's office said in a press release.
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Is there any precedent for a homicide charge in this case? I get that 1) she took drugs, 2) she breastfed knowing that she took drugs, and 3) she was probably aware that drugs are bad for the baby. However, even if those three criteria are met, don't the prosecutors still have to prove that 4) she breastfed the baby with tainted breastmilk with the intention of killing the baby?
Or is manslaughter included in the definition of 'criminal homicide' that she is reported to be charged with?