A Williams woman was sentenced to six years in state prison on Monday for the near death of her child from an accidental poisoning from fentanyl.
Courtney E. Vessey, 37, along with her Public Defender, Albert Smith, made an impassioned plea in Colusa County Superior Court for long term drug rehabilitation in a rare testimony-based sentencing hearing.
Vessey, who waived her right under the Fifth Amendment not to incriminate herself, said she has been addicted to controlled substances for about seven years and pleaded for help.
Vessey was convicted of felony child endangerment – with the special allegation of causing great bodily injury – after admitting to being in a hotel room at the Colusa Casino and Resort on Sept. 5 when she disposed of spent aluminum foil that contained the residue of the powerful opiate in the trash.
Vessey said when she saw her 1-year-old had found it, she removed it from the child’s mouth but noticed immediately the child was already going into distress.
Vessy said after realizing her worst fear, she ran with the baby to her vehicle to administer Narcan (Naloxone), which is a nasal spray medication now commonly used and carried by addicts to reverse the effects of opioids and prevent overdose, which, according to the CDC, is now the leading cause of injury-related death in the U.S.
Vessey said she performed CPR on her unbreathing and unresponsive child and administered four doses of the spay until paramedics arrived. She was arrested by the Colusa County Sheriff’s Department at the scene around 11:15 PM on felony child endangerment, with the special allegation, and misdemeanor possession of narcotics, possession of controlled substances, possession of drug paraphernalia, and three outstanding warrants.
Vessey has remained in jail since the incident, and her child is under the jurisdiction of Child Protective Services, officials said.
District Attorney Matthew Beauchamp on Monday argued against the court granting probation and drug rehab or any lesser sentence because Vessey not only made the decision to bring her child and drugs together to a hotel room, where she used, but that she carried “her own” Narcan so she could balance the risk of drug use with the benefits.
Smith argued for a midterm sentence or long term rehabilitation because the maximum punishment would not correct the underlying problem of drug addiction, and despite Vessey understanding how her behavior nearly got her child killed, her quick response to the situation saved her child’s life.
“We need to fix the problem, not affix blame,” Smith said.
Colusa County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey A. Thompson agreed with the recommendation from the DA and Probation Department to sentence Vessey to the six-year maximum prison term, due to her 20-year criminal history and injury to her child from the incident.
“I cannot conceive of child endangerment being more severe,” Thompson said.
Vessey will be given 197 days credit on her sentence for time served and earned.
She has 60 days to appeal. ■