Posted on 02/23/2008 9:14:22 AM PST by Hat-Trick
Child tells Omaha police how she used marijuana
BY TODD COOPER
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
The girl sat down, told investigators she smokes pot and, using a pen, demonstrated how she does it — just like her mom.
The girl is 4.
Now, her mother, Lisa Schuchard, 25, is facing a felony child abuse charge — and a hearing on her parental rights — on allegations that she taught, and encouraged, her daughter to smoke marijuana.
Schuchard has pleaded not guilty and is in the Douglas County Jail. Her attorney, Douglas County Assistant Public Defender Doug Johnson, said he couldn't comment because he hasn't had a chance to speak with Schuchard in depth.
According to police and court reports:
Someone called Child Protective Services to complain that Schuchard's 4-year-old girl and 2-year-old boy were filthy dirty and that drug paraphernalia was strewn about Schuchard's home near 34th and Hamilton Streets. The caller also complained that the kids were forced to sleep a lot — and that Schuchard and her live-in boyfriend, Christopher Gladden, were "always sleeping."
On Feb. 12, Omaha police went to the home and found the children within reach of drug paraphernalia.
They also found a large bruise on the 4-year-old's right cheek and several bruises on her buttocks and upper legs.
The girl told police that Gladden hit her repeatedly with a belt — and slammed a door in her face, causing the knob to bruise her cheek.
The 4-year-old then gave this account of the marijuana use to detectives, according to police and court reports:
She described Schuchard and Gladden, 23, smoking "joints."
The 4-year-old said joints are brown and have green "weed" inside. She said weed also can be smoked from a bong and a pipe.
The 4-year-old then "demonstrated (very well) how she smokes from a 'joint,' 'bong' and 'pipe' during the interview," an Omaha police detective wrote. "She said that her mother and Chris give both her and her brother the weed to smoke.
"(She) said that she smokes in front of her mom and Chris' friends and that they laugh when she smokes."
Police have no evidence the 2-year-old boy actually used marijuana, but both he and his sister have been placed in foster care.
Authorities have scheduled a medical exam in which they plan to test the girl's hair follicles for the presence of marijuana.
An initial hearing on the mother's parental rights is next week.
Before the girl told of her marijuana use, Schuchard and Gladden had been charged with misdemeanor child abuse.
Gladden immediately pleaded guilty to four misdemeanor counts — and was sentenced to six months in jail.
Deputy Douglas County Attorney Steve Gabrial said prosecutors cannot increase his charges to felonies because it would constitute double jeopardy.
However, Shuchard now is charged with a felony. If convicted, she faces up to five years in prison.
Gabrial, who has specialized in child abuse prosecutions for the past five years, said he has seen cases of children ingesting their parents' drugs — typically, their pills.
But rarely on purpose, he said, and never this young.
Heard about a guy that heard his son screaming, so he ran outside to see what was wrong. Kid had made lines of sand on the porch and snorted one. Monkey see, monkey do.
Chronic use of marijuana in adults promotes learning disabilities. Imagine what it will do for a four year old.
I’m hoping she was like BJ Clinton and didn’t inhale.
OMFG
In 1979 I gave a lift home to a maintenance mechanic we employed for heavy mining equipment. He invited me in for a beer, and as a twenty something adult, beer was a major food group.
After a few, he asked if I minded if he and his wife lit a “left-handed” cigarette. That’s when the sickness began. As they were getting stupid; their toddler, I don’t know how old, could walk but not talk clearly enough a non-family member could understand entered the room and the mother handed the little boy the joint and said take this to daddy “little Fuzz.” While he was waddling towards dad, mom said, go ahead little Fuzz, take a hit. That little guy put the doobie to his lips took a big draw and coughed his lungs out which elicited belly laughs from everyone in the room...except me.
To this day almost 30 years later the vision of that little kid trying to impress mom & dad by puffing on a doobie and tobacco cigarette too, is just as vivid as the day it happened. I was so appalled that I complained to our GM the next day but nothing happened because the employee was a “top notch” mechanic the company didn’t want to replace over hearsay evidence. I should have called the cops on the spot.
I just keep thinking about the millstone the Good Lord Jesus referred to.
Holy Crap. The epitome of “trash”.
More and more kids are on drugs ... anti depressants - via prescription and they DON’T KNOW the impact on a developing brain. Never mind that these drugs alter the chemicals in the brain and ENCOURAGE suicide.
This next generation will be a dozy. Very scary out there. Of course when they act out as each of the school shootings have done, NO ONE looks at the DRUGS they took or have TAKEN that have had a chemical hand in screwing them up. NOPE! Drug companies just come up with MORE drugs.
The problem is a troubled soul. NO drug will cure that. That problem takes time to work out with HUMAN BEINGS; not chemicals. Then again, in our selfish narcissist society it's easier to shove a pill in the mouth of someone that is troubled in our rushed world.
Frankly, it's perfectly NORMAL to have days when we feel "blue" when events don't go our way. That when FRIENDS and FAMILY should step in to lift us up. Ideally pray to God for His help. Instead we want to handle it ourselves through pills or drugs like marijuana. Bandages for neglected soul issues.
Yes ... He doesn’t look kindly on this stuff.
He just might be coming soon ... . A bitter sweet time. We’re sad for those that don’t know Him and refuse Him.
Normally this kind of stuff happens across the river in Council Bluffs.
Well, there you go. The 4-year-old was smoking medical marijuana for pain under her parent's supervision. Certainly we wouldn't deny the medical benefits of marijuana to children, would we?
Yup, that story about the video game playing couple was really sad...was hard to sleep that night after reading about that :-(
On a related note to what you posted, I saw a Frontline a couple of weeks ago about children on drugs. I know most FReepers would have been pulling out their hair if they had watched it with me.
They showed one poor little boy when he was about 4. Seemed like a normal 4 year old boy to me—running around, active. The parents eventually had him on 7-8 drugs at ONE time. Now the boy is a teenager and he has a permanent thing where he rolls his head sporadically—he can’t control it. And the parents STILL have him on multiple medications. The boy’s life has been ruined!
They said the new thing is all these kids are bi-polar. We all remember the little girl not too long ago that died at 4 YEARS OLD! because of what she was taking. Well one family in this Frontline episode saw that story on the news. So they went to the psychiatrist/drug pusher/Dr. Frankenstein to see if they should have the boy’s dose lowered because he was on the same meds as the little girl that died. They walked out of there with a new, different prescription. This boy was also on many different drugs.
These kids are guinea pigs. It made me so upset. I’m so glad that our family resisted considerable pressure to get our oldest son on medication. It’s been hard but I’d rather just deal with an un-medicated hyper butt child, than experiment on his brain.
Needless to say, I’m not a pill popper. I have to have a severe headache even to take some pain reliever. I’m not against all medication, but we’ve got a society now that doesn’t want to feel a moment of discomfort—physically or emotionally.
People with a drug problem (which I’m guessing is the case) have lost sight of preserving their own life so its not surprising that their responsibility to others, even children is lacking.
Consider, for example cigarette addicts who smoke where children have to breath it or insist they have the right to use their drug in a way that forces other to either leave public spaces of consume the drug too. or Alcoholics who keep driving drunk after being caught and knowing they put other’s lives at risk. Since they are risking their own life its not that big a stretch to put others at risk too.
I don’t think drugs should be illegal...the war on ‘some’ drugs is misguided, but giving drugs to kids is pure EVIL!
When I was a kid in the 60’s LSD was legal... the local head shop that sold water beds, black lights and posters always had a box of sugar cubes laced with a dose of LSD on the counter and passed them out for free...even to children! Looking back on it I think the owners should have been strung up for doing such a thing :-(
That was awful. Reminded me of the couple around Christmas somewhere up in the Northwest that shot her whole family to death including her very young niece and nephew. I know not the same crime, but that same creepy feeling about the couple. There is some seriously messed up young people out there.
“Needless to say, I’m not a pill popper. I have to have a severe headache even to take some pain reliever. I’m not against all medication, but we’ve got a society now that doesn’t want to feel a moment of discomfort—physically or emotionally.”
Exactly.
Just look at Hollywood - that Ledger guy ... same thing - multiple prescriptions and they clashed. He couldn’t handle REALITY. Yes, divorce hurts. We all have emotional disappointments but pills are not going to take them away. People need to deal with them soberly otherwise we will see more and more insane behavior and horrific consequences.
ALL of these anti depressant are SUBJECTIVE. There are NO TESTS that show this imaginary “chemical imbalance”. It’s just another way for people to feel that escaping their problems through mind altering drugs is okay.
Sometimes life is tough. Sometimes like IS unfair. That’s when you really need God, friends and family to lift you UP and help you overcome disappointments.
...Or Hillary?>
...or (gasp) Kucinich?
...or Ron Paul?
Definitely NOT FRedheads.
Cheers!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.