Pubdate: Thu, 22 Jul 2004
Source: Charlotte Sun Herald (FL)
Copyright: 2004 Sun Coast Media Group Inc.
Contact:  http://www.sun-herald.com/newsch.htm
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1708
Author:  Christy Arnold, Staff Writer
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Testing)

NO WAY TO PASS A DRUG TEST

Port Charlotte Mom Eses Child's Specimen To Pass Drug Test

Charlene Turner didn't want to fail a drug test.

So she used her 10-year-old child's urine to pass.

"That's pathetic," said Circuit Judge Donald Pellecchia.

Turner had been enrolled in a pretrial diversion program after being
arrested in August 2003 on possession of cocaine and marijuana
charges. The 35-year-old Port Charlotte woman had no prior offenses
and qualified for the pretrial diversion program -- which would have
kept her record clean.

But Turner couldn't stay clean.

Turner's probation officer received an anonymous phone call in April
indicating that Turner was using her 10-year-old child's urine for
drug tests.

"She eventually broke down and admitted that she had not only used
illicit drugs, but further admitted that she had been doing this
throughout her entire participation in the (pretrial diversion)
program," states a letter from Turner's probation officer to the State
Attorney's Office.

Then, Turner took a drug test using her own urine. She tested positive
for marijuana and cocaine.

She was kicked out of the pretrial diversion program and bumped back
into felony court.

Turner pleaded guilty Wednesday afternoon to possessing cocaine and
marijuana. She received three years of drug offender probation.

Pellecchia adjudicated her guilty on the misdemeanor marijuana charge.
The judge withheld adjudication on the felony cocaine charge but
promised Turner he'd send her to prison if she violates her probation.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin