Mother accused of using meth while pregnant

SANDPOINT — A preliminary hearing is pending for a Sandpoint woman accused of exposing her unborn child to methamphetamine.

Katherine Elaine Johnson is charged with felony injury to a child. She is free on her own recognizance, according to court documents.

Johnson, 25, used the central nervous system stimulant between February and November of last year, a criminal complaint alleges. The child was born at Bonner General Health and tested positive for meth and marijuana, a probable cause affidavit said.

Johnson told investigators that she smoked pot twice week during her pregnancy as a pain medication and consumed meth less than a half-dozen times while carrying the child to term, the affidavit said.

The child was taken into the custody of the state after the boy was born, court records indicate.

A preliminary hearing in the case is set for Wednesday in Bonner County Magistrate Court.

Johnson’s defense counsel, Sandpoint attorney Michael Waldrup, has entered a not guilty plea on his client’s behalf, records show.