When you go to a potluck dinner, you are trusting that the other people who brought dishes have prepared them using acceptable ingredients and acceptable procedures. In some cases, the person who makes the dish might include ingredients that aren’t widely used in food preparation. This may cause adverse reactions in some people who eat the dishes. For one California teacher, the choice to bring a dish to a potluck dinner has ended in her facing criminal charges.
The elementary school teacher allegedly brought a dish laced with marijuana to a potluck event. It is alleged that two of her colleagues got sick and had to seek medical care. They then discovered that they had THC, a chemical in marijuana, in their system. One colleague brought some of the dish, which wasn’t brownies, home. That person’s 15-year-old son ate some of the dish and also fell ill.
After the school board and police department investigated, it was alleged that this teacher was the one who brought the tainted dish. She was arrested on three counts of felony food poisoning. Her bail was set at $15,000.
When she made food to take to the potluck, the last thing this teacher probably expected was to end up facing criminal charges because of her dish. Sadly, she now has to deal with the criminal court system about the matter. If you are facing felony charges, you must be aware of how a conviction can affect you. Enlisting the help of an experienced California criminal defense attorney may help you to understand the charges and the best way to answer them.
Source: WHAS11.com, “Elementary school teacher allegedly brought pot-laced dish to potluck” No author given, Jan. 25, 2014