Police say a cell phone video provided them shows mom offering son marijuana from bong. / Courtesy image Centralia Police Department. See Kirotv.com video
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – Prosecutors charged the Centralia mother accused of giving her toddler a hit from a marijuana water pipe with a crime today, one that could easily give her about five years in prison if she is convicted as charged.
Rachelle L. Braaten, 24, remains in the Lewis County Jail following her arrest on Friday. Prosecutors say an anonymous video provided to police shows her holding a so-called bong while her now 2-year-old son put his mouth near its top, then coughs.
She allegedly told officers it happened four or five months ago.
Braaten is charged with a class B felony, which for a person like Braaten who has no criminal history has a standard sentencing range of 51 to 68 months, according to Lewis County Deputy Prosecutor Shane O’Rourke.
The offense has a long name: delivery of a controlled substance by a person over 18 to a person under 18, domestic violence.
It’s a serious charge, O’Rourke said.
The potential penalty is high because it involves a child, O’Rourke said. The maximum penalty is 10 years and a $20,000 fine.
The mother of two appeared briefly this afternoon in Lewis County Superior Court.
O’Rourke told the judge the little boy is with his paternal grandmother. Both of her sons were taken by Child Protective Services on Friday. No mention was made today of the 5-year-old’s whereabouts.
Judge Nelson Hunt gave Braaten a court appointed defense attorney and scheduled her arraignment for Thursday.
She remains jailed on $20,000 bail.
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For background, read “Prosecutors: Centralia father released, mother faces possible charge for alleged bong-smoking baby” from Monday March 11, 2013, here
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
No worries!
I’m sure after Braaten does her time or probation she can just get on with her life and exercise her right to have another baby!
After all, it’s her right to choose!!!
Her next baby may not have any more of a chance at a productive life, but hey…at least she’s doing what she wants with her body!
OK disgusted I guess the pop law is a bad example lets try this one. In the 1900’s Coca-cola was made from one of the most illegal drugs on our streets today and people gave Coca-cola to their children back then. Now a days I would be hung out to dry with 60 months and my child would go into a system that doesn’t care about the child but making the extra dollar each month in a foster care system, that is run a muck with corruption. Ask children who are in foster care what they think of it. Some in the system truly had bad parents and need to be their. I did not see the mom beating her child like some non pot smoking parents. Wait lets give our child a bottle of booze and take a picture. Oh wait that isn’t a illegal drug NEITHER IS MARIJUANA. So why do we not give 56-64 months to people who by teenagers beer. Or the guy who shows you in a video how to numb the tooth of a child by giving them whiskey. Yes it was wrong yes she needs to be learn parenting skills. We need to teach our parents to be parents so we do not have to worry about teaching their kids to be parents in the future. Not shove them into a system that does not work. Good ole christian values I stand by and christian values are to be caring not rip a child out from a mother. BEAM ME UP SCOTTY THEIR IS DEFINITELY NO INTELLIGENT LIFE HERE. Thankyou Disgusted you made me realize why our system is messed up even more. BRAIN WASHED INDIVIDUALS like yourself.
@History said: “Let take this for an example if the soda pop law went into effect in New York City, and a mom was video taping her giving a child a full bottle of pop would we give her 56 to 64 months. I think we are going a little over board on the punishment.”
Seriously?!? Did you read this before you posted it, or are you a flipping moron? There is NO comparison between soda pop and a controlled substance. There is no hope for this world when it is filled with vapid, morally and intellectually impaired people that actually think like this!
With no priors, this idiot “mother” won’t do five years. That is the maximum sentence for the crime. I’m wagering she’ll get time served and home monitoring, will have to attend parenting and drug classes, and will have CPS up her ass until her overworked caseworker deems that everything is just peachy at home.
Braaten and Lee shouldn’t get the kids back at all, but our system loves to put the children back with the parents, no matter how stupid and dangerous those parents are to their offspring. We already know that daddy is farming dope. Chances are he doesn’t work. So even though you can only grow for personal use or as a designated caregiver, you’ll never convince me they aren’t selling the stuff to supplement their welfare income. We know they smoke in front of their kids (when they aren’t blowing them nose hits for entertainment) – and legal or not – no decent parent thinks it’s acceptable to smoke pot in the presence of children. It’s obvious they have very poor reasoning skills . . . probably from laying around smoking pot all day.
Beam me up, Scotty. There is no intelligent life here.
Sumthin2say, grow up! Stop condoning bad behaviour. Have a kid then say its ok 4 kids to do drugs!
I don’t know this mom, I too believe 5 years is way to long. Sometimes it takes something like this to scare the holy crap out of you to realize the danger you’re putting your child in.
Like I said don’t know her for all I know she could be a tweaker takes whatever guy who will have her and also because of her age I highly doubt pot is all she is doing.
She seems to be highly influenced by her so called friends. So that said ,jail time n rehab and if she has the family support she may become a responsible mom. This story was all over the news including fox n others…James sicko Reeder was not. and kiddos to whoever turned her in because it could have been worse .
To everyone,
I wonder if this happened 200 hundred years ago would have we been concerned. Let take this for an example if the soda pop law went into effect in New York City, and a mom was video taping her giving a child a full bottle of pop would we give her 56 to 64 months. I think we are going a little over board on the punishment. Why don’t the county just call it an embarrassment law, because I know I am when i see this on international video like live leaks. Anyway I do not condone it but belief a class B felony is a little over the top.
To whom it may concern is most likely the grandmother of this child from what I can gather. No names needed but the statements match her mentality.
“She was in the privacy of her own home, not out in public.”
You’re refering to the pot-smoking. I was refering to her bearing a child. Unless she did it out in the woods or at home alone, she indeed had her child publicly. In fact, it was probably in the public newspaper and listed in the public registry.
OldLongJohnson says:
Wednesday, March 13, 2013 at 8:03 am
“Why is this woman out in public having kids, smoking dope, and giving dope to the kid?”
She was in the privacy of her own home, not out in public. Whoever said that she likely got turned in because someone got mad at her is probably correct. Good times, good friends.
BTW, To whom it concerns, did you celebrate your birthday in Nairobi? Because at 10:20 am you were only 11 years old, but at 6:10 pm you are 12?
I almost feel bad for being “off-topic”, yet at the same time I don’t understand how, if “pot doesn’t hurt” then why are there so many people upset about what this woman did? If it is a “natural, harmless” substance, then what’s the big deal?
The kid inhaled more dope in second-hand smoke then he did “taking a hit” off the bong. Probably will get more sick from the germs on the mouthpiece than the “hit” though.
And I don’t for a moment believe that his mom wasn’t smoking while pregnant, and inhaling second-hand smoke if/when she had a “moral moment” and put the pipe down.
@TWIMC, Happy Birthday. I hope that your spelling improves, though not likely with the path that you’re on. Still doesn’t make you legal for pot OR an R-rated movie.
I’ll look for your name in 8 years in the “Who’s in Jail” section, although I’m sure that “sumthin2say” is looking for your mom’s name now.
Well, LewisCountySirens has been taken over by kids, inane senseless people. This used to be a great site.. No wonder no one wants to live in Lewis County. I feel for the good ones that are stuck there. Me, I moved out, and now will be moving beyond even reading LCS. What a waste of time. You all can say what you want in return, but ha ha, I won’t be reading it..DCE, will miss your post tho, you at least made sense..
Hay One Eye Open I turned 12 today are you going to wish me a happy burthday. I just took my first BONG HIT .
“STOP Stop Stop . Dont you think that putting this young woman with no criminal record in prison for 5 years would do more harm to those two young boys. Hell he could have smoked a hole joint and it would not do as much damage to him as him being with out his mother for 5 years.”
From what we are seeing, each year they are away from that woman, the better chance they will have a normal life and grow up into mature adults. Either put her away until the kids are out of high school, or let her out but revoke her parenting privileges. Give these kids a chance to be more than addicts!
@ One Eye Open
Could you cry me another river of tears? That last one was so touching!
I love how you equate an opinion with an “amoral attack” on juveniles and such.
*fawns* I’m gushing.
“Just what written “laws of decency and respect toward life and the laws of common sense” are you reading.”
The ones you don’t follow obviously.
Drive through.
Johnson, you strike me as a “survival of the fittest” type of person, one that is fine making your own line of morals. How do you have the right to impose your beliefs on other people, yet deny that anyone has the ability to tell you what to do?
If there is no moral standard, then everyone is able to that which is right in their own eyes. What is “right” to you could be “wrong” to others, and vice versa. You seem to think it’s your “right” to spew the F-bomb to a so-called minor, but I think that you are “wrong”. So who is right? Not likely either of us, it’s a judgment call. I rather see you as being a crude and angry person that doesn’t care to whom you strike at, as it is your “right” to do so. Extend that “right” out and you have people like Reeder who does whatever makes them feel good, no matter who it hurts.
Just what written “laws of decency and respect toward life and the laws of common sense” are you reading? I see that you have no respect to anyone here.
Bearing children irresponsibly may not be against Lewis County or United States law, but it goes against all the laws of decency and respect toward life and the laws of common sense.
So, if you think that crapping out a brat to live in abuse and poverty is your “right”, then I submit that The People should have a “right” to sterilize you so that you can’t hurt babies.
“It falls in the category of a persons right to choose what they do with their body.”
When your “RIGHT” to choose hurts children, then you give up that right.
A mother does NOT have a right to fuck a child into pain or poverty.
@ “to whom it may concern” YOUR parents should be very concerned for you! Either you are lying about your age, or you have waay too lax parents to allow you to post on this site, much less read it. What are you doing posting during school hours? And what kind of parent allows their minor children to read rated “R” posts? I guess that all one needs is a name and an email address to post here, but I seriously doubt your parents, your age, or both. If you are 11 years old, there is a chance that we will be seeing you in 10 years making news, not commenting on it. This is tall talk, go read a good (rated G) book.
BAHLSDEEP. It is very obvious by your past comments that you dont get a long with females.Gest trying to get people like you fired up.THANK YOU FOR THE SPELL CORRECTION. I AM ONLY 11 YEARS OLD.
To who it may concern says:
“How about court ordered commuity service with drug addictive new borns. parenting classes. counseling.”
Why would this woman be fitting to work with drug addictive (addicted) new borns? She makes horse shit decisions with the healthy son she has. Is your thought process thinking that she needs to start with children that were ruined by the same parenting skills? It is very obvious by your past comments that you are close to Ms. Braaten, i.e. family.
STOP Stop Stop . Dont you think that putting this young woman with no criminal record in prison for 5 years would do more harm to those two young boys. Hell he could have smoked a hole joint and it would not do as much damage to him as him being with out his mother for 5 years. How about court ordered commuity service with drug addictive new borns. parenting classes. counseling.
Forced sterlization is a fantasy. It will never happen. It falls in the category of a persons right to choose what they do with their body. You self righteous nazis are just getting your ‘feel good kicks’ tossing verbal stones at this poor lady. Obviously she pissed someone off and they turned her in so what? Im sure youve seen someone give a little kid a sip of their beer at a party this is no different. This is a classic extortion case. Keep protecting those anonymous sources or just pretend everyone is a narc dont deal drugs or boast about your medical crop if you have needs. Shes stupid Ill agree there but five years is excessive.
NOT TO JUMP TO GUILT SO FAST. As bad as it looked for the short time it ran. I took the time to find out how do you smoke a bong from what I inder stand you need to light the boul while yout mouth is complety over the top and on the bong with your finger over a hole inhaile and release finer and you get a lung full of smoke then exhale the smoke and cough From what i could make out I see no lighting of the boul no mouth completley over the bong no finger on the hole no exhail of smoke. The only reason that I could think of why he coughted was he was imattating what the ather people did when they got a hit COught.I dont under stand how a person can be charged with delivery when nothing was delivered. Thats like saying you are going to prison for almost murder. You learn something new very day. A bong to day. What tomorrow ?
MU,
Agreed. Until such time that our society gets back to recognizing parenting as an all important occupation that you dedicate your life and soul to, the downward spiral will only continue. As is, parenting is something you fit in between boyfriends and nights out.
In our Government’s effort to protect the baby in poverty they have only created more via destroying the family structure. Aid to single mothers amounts to subsidizing single parent house holds. You always get more of what you subsidize.
In the meantime, get her the hell away from that kid and put him in a home where he will at least have a fair shot at amounting to something besides a dope addict. There are good people waiting years for such a chance!
While her act, like that of some one leaving their toddler in the care of a tattoo covered unemployed boyfriend they’ve only known a matter of weeks,or some one decapitating their premature born child to be left in a garbage bag under the sink,or some one allowing their five year old child to be taken four wheeling by their drunken buddy in their open topped jeep,to be killed when said drunk wrecks,or someone attacking and killing a woman walking along a recreation path,or some one stabbing their parent while they sleep, is indefenseable.
I can’t help noticing the age of the ‘adults’ in these recent cases seem to be in their early to aproaching mid twentys. They being born around 1989-1991. Looking at it socialogically, and remembering some small kids born around that time and the circumstances they were brought up in. Often in single parent homes by a mother without a father present to help in either bread winning or parenting. Those kids’ faced a up hill battle in life. It would cause me heart ache, as well as feelings of ill will toward the ‘men’ who would spawn children only to leave them without role models. It would certainly validate my own already present misanthropic views. Combined with the general septic culture that was thrust upon these kids’ growing up in the 1990s’. It dosen’t surprise me that the now young adults of that generation are in some cases manifesting this type of behavior.
I don’t know if any of the above people referenced grew up in those type conditions.But if they did, the behaviors they exhibited don’t surprise me.
When people abuse their kids like this, your dang right they should be sterilized. Face it, the Gene Pool needs some Chlorine!
Yes, forced sterilization. So stupid bitches like this one and Becky Heupel can’t add to the taxpayers burden with offspring they can’t support or care for. Of all the idiots out there on welfare having kids, less than half of you are fit parents . . . and that’s generous statistic because frankly, no woman with a brain in her head would go out and get pregnant when she can’t even support herself, let alone a child. The ones who do it more than once should definitely be forcibly sterilized and then forced to pick up trash by the side of the highway to earn their welfare checks.
Totally agree w/ everything sumthin2say has posted.
However, probably not wise to take a chance based on one recent comment from a group of doctors in England about alcohol and its effects on unborn children in the womb, since long-accepted research shows there is NO safe amount of alcohol a woman can ingest during pregnancy. Fetal alcohol syndrome and its related conditions are permanent impairments that many, many individuals suffer from. In fact, the kind of brain damage done, with one of its symptoms being lack of impulse control, is among the reasons our prisons and jails are full.
DCE says that pot is harmless, so she must be telling the truth that it was peer pressure that made her do it.
Forced sterilization are you serious? This isnt 1940’s germany or china. Lets casterate you that way you can stick your head farther up your ass.
Why is this woman out in public having kids, smoking dope, and giving dope to the kid?
Why wasn’t she institutionalized a decade ago and given a forced-sterilization?
The nation is sick, sick, sick. It deserves everything it recieves.
They should charge all mothers who smoke pot with their underage children. The legal age of mj consumption is 21 not 18 anyway. FIVE YEARS?? The lady that provided alcohol in the accidental death of a centralia teen got less time and that resulted in a fatality. Marijuana prohibition is over. quit glorifying alcoholism. Lets get real; its bad parenting but i doubt that kid will have any adverse side effects in the future from one puff or even remember. no pun intended. but his mother being in jail for 5 years?? Im sure the toddler will remember that.