
A Sioux Falls woman who was charged with contributing to the abuse or neglect of a child after a toddler tested positive for THC at an emergency room this year has pleaded guilty and was sentenced Tuesday.
Tiffany Danielle Kelsey, 31, pleaded guilty to contributing to the abuse or neglect of a minor and misprision of a felony in the Lincoln County Courthouse.
Kelsey was sentenced by Judge John Pekas to 60 days of electronic monitoring and one year of suspended prison time, a sentence agreed upon in a plea deal.
Kelsey was charged after a 14-month-old tested positive for THC in an emergency room on Jan. 2, 2019. The child seemed „lethargic” when his father picked him up from daycare.
More: Child remains in hospital after fatal crash west of Sioux Falls
Kelsey’s attorney Amber Eggert said Kelsey had taken the child with her when she visited a friend who had just been in a car accident. That friend was known to have marijuana. While they don’t know for sure what happened, they believe the child ate a cookie made with marijuana, Eggert said.
„(Kelsey) exposed her child to a dangerous situation,” said Lincoln County Deputy State’s Attorney Amanda Eden.
Eden also recognized the steps Kelsey has taken to improve her life, such as cutting ties with that friend, maintaining employment and doing regular urine tests.
Kelsey must report to the jail for an electronic monitoring bracelet on Sept. 25.
Email reporter Danielle Ferguson at dbferguson@argusleader.com, or follow on Twitter at @DaniFergs.