Keep Methadone out of the hands of inncoent children

  • by: sara
  • recipient: Kenosha Wisconsin
A court official came close to ordering a gag across the mouth of a woman, charged with child neglect leading to death, because she twice interrupted a preliminary hearing on Wednesday.

Kenosha resident Carrie Metz, 24, whose 2-year-old son, Benjamin Metz-Johnson, died Jan. 11, 2007, from an overdose allegedly of his mother's methadone, halted proceedings by announcing that she did not want to stay in the Kenosha County Intake Court courtroom.

"I don't want to be here," she said just after the first prosecution witness began testimony. "I choose not to listen to lies about my child."

Court Commissioner Carl Greco warned her that she had no choice.

"You must behave, or the only thing that is going to happen is I'll have you gagged, and you'll remain here," Greco said.

Metz and her attorney, Terry Rose, adjourned to a nearby room to discuss the situation. They returned a few minutes later, and testimony began.

But during the witness' comments a few minutes later, Metz again said she didn't want to stay.

"You can gag me all you want, but this is in regards to my child's death," she said. "I'm not going to listen to lies. I'm outta here."

Greco admonished her again.

"You will be gagged," he told her. "I'm not going to let you control this courtroom."

Metz calmed down, and testimony resumed again with no interruptions, but she did cry at intervals.

Prosecutors filed the charge against Metz this month, about one year after the death because of the time needed for toxicology reports and follow-up clarifications. Methadone is used to wean addicts off heroin.

The prosecution witness, Stephanie Gravedoni, testified that Metz was her best friend and that Metz was baby-sitting Gravedoni's son at the witness' house, in the 4000 block of 14th Avenue, on the day of the death. Gravedoni returned from work, went into the kitchen with Metz and another friend. Metz then went to move the child.

"She screamed, 'Oh my God, my son,'" said the witness. "She was freaking out, screaming and upset."

At one point, Metz told rescue workers that the child's condition might have been from drinking her methadone, Gravedoni testified.

The witness said Metz told her that the incident happened because she had been mixing some methadone and placed it on a counter when the friend's son began crying. Gravedoni testified that Metz said that she returned to see Benjamin holding the methadone bottle and that the bottle was on the floor, with some missing.

Metz said she wiped out the boy's mouth but saw no trace of methadone and wasn't sure whether any of the chemical was missing, Gravedoni said.

Both women went to the hospital, then returned home. Metz went to a kitchen cabinet, removed a child's "sippy" cup that had some methadone in it and said, "Thank God they didn't find this," then flushed it down the toilet, said Gravedoni.

Gravedoni said she had not seen Metz mix methadone in the sippy cup or Benjamin with methadone before.

Kenosha County Medical Examiner Mary Mainland testified that the child probably was in a coma before dying of methadone poisoning. She testified the amount, which was less than an ounce, was enough to kill an adult not accustomed to the chemical.

At the end of testimony, Rose argued that the charge should be dismissed because there was no evidence that Metz was negligent. But Greco found probable cause, and Metz pleaded not guilty. A March 12 pre-trial and an April 7 trial were scheduled. Her signature bond in the case was continued.

However, Metz is in custody in lieu of a $5,000 cash bond total on other charges, including disorderly conduct, forgery, identity theft and four counts of bail jumping. The disorderly conduct charge was from a Jan. 25 incident where Metz allegedly screamed and swore at Kenosha Medical Center emergency room personnel and pounded on a desk because they wouldn't let her be with her fiance, who was being treated.

The forgery and theft charges are from May 20, 2007, when Metz allegedly passed a fake $577 check using a driver's license of a woman whose purse had been stolen three months earlier.






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Your Comments

this is a prime reason why the meth clinics should have never allowed the meth to leave the office. i remember years ago when you went to the clinic you had a lock box and had to take the dose of meth there. you were not permitted to leave the building with it. now look what it has done. it has taken the life of a baby. shame on you.
samantha
Jan. 31 - 09:59:17

That makes no sense then what in the heck would you need a lockbox for. I know for a fact that the lockbox is for you to take your dose home. Because Sundays they don't dose. Yes I go there. She should have been more careful with the methadone. Plus I have heard other things according to the situation. She deserves whatever she gets if its true. Me as a mother knows to keep stuff like that up and I mean UP AWAY FROM THE KIDS!!!!!!!!!!! Although mine are older they do know and understand the dangers of that medication, and other meds as well. But when they are that little we need to protect them from that sort of stuff. If you plan on taking it for awhile then educate your child about abuse and the dangers of medicine. Alot of people think methadone is just a substitution. In reality yeah it is but it saved my life in many ways. If it wasn't for this program I probably would be still spending hundreds to thousands of dollars a week or dead. It is a fast way to get help and not so painful. Of course unless you don't have it. She better not have ruined it for those of us who are responsible enough to know put that stuff up and away!!!!!!!!!!
gina_clemons
Feb. 1 - 11:20:57

Honestly, Carrie Metz did NOT want any of this to happen. People may think what they want. Metz was a great mother. all of you, who knew carrie know. Stepanie is just a flat crack head lyer =].





Lindsey Metz.

Carries baby sister =]
lilmetz4sure
Feb. 16 - 20:11:02

I AM OUTRAGED TO READ THIS I WENT TO SCHOOL WITH THIS GIRL A FRIEND OF MINE WAS AT HER HOUSE AND CARRIE HAD HER SON IN A DIAPER ONLY WITH ALOT OF PEOPLE SMOKING AND GETTING HIGH IN THE HOUSE WITH HER CHILD THERE. SHE WAS A UNFIT MOTHER AND DESERVES TO STAY IN JAIL.  BEFORE SHE WENT TO JAIL SHE TOLD LIES ABOUT THE DEATH OF HER CHILD TO MAKE PEOPLE FEEL SORRY FOR HER. SHE IS HORRIBLE BUT ALSO WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE HOSPITAL AND WHOEVER LET HER TAKE THAT METHADONE HOME. SHE SHOULD HAVE HAD TO TAKE IT IN A LOCK BOX NO WHERE NEAR HER CHILD. SHE WAS DEFINATELY A BAD MOM FOR BEING ON HEROINE THEY SHOULD HAVE TAKEN HER CHILD AWAY BUT THEY DIDNT AND HER CHILD DIED. AN INNOCENT CHILD DEAD BECAUSE OF WHO? HIS MOTHER? AND EVERYONE ELSE INVOLVED. PLEASE SIGN THIS SO OTHER CHILDREN SURVIVE

We the undersigned believe this case needs to be looked into further. Carrie definately deserves to sit in jail for what she has done. But is she the only one to blame for her sons death? She was a drug attic, that right there shows that she is an unfit mother. Why wasnt her child taken away from her while she was getting better? Why was the methadone sent home with her, where she has a child that could potentially get into it? This child died due to the neglagence of those around him. We need something done so that other children don't die from this terrible situation. Maybe if she was taking her medicine at a medical facility she would have gotten better and her son would still be here today.

Thank you for taking the time to read our letter.

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