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Child neglect charges dropped, drug charges remain for Earls
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Child neglect charges were dropped against a local mother for a raid in which her 3-year-old son was reportedly found within arm’s reach of illicit drugs and needles.The mother, Julie A. Earls, 42, will not get to go completely free, however, as she entered a guilty plea to the charge of possession of drug paraphernalia. She was ordered by General Sessions Judge Bill Locke to serve 20 days of an 11-month, 29-day sentence and pay $150 plus costs.Police came to her home looking for persons with outstanding warrants and discovered various items of drug paraphernalia when they arrived. The paraphernalia was seized and police noted there was a small child there with no apparent source of food in the residence.They returned the following morning to conduct a welfare check on the child.“He was discovered asleep on the floor of the home with additional drug paraphernalia within reach of the child,” said McMinnville police officer Joseph Butler, noting the items included a syringe and five baggies with meth residue.Police notified child services which arrived and removed the child from the home due to the poor living conditions and lack of food.