(Stillwater, Okla.) – A Stillwater woman accused of failing to protect her baby from methamphetamine, which she was allegedly using while the two-month-old had a serious infection, and also leaving her three-year-old son alone at home has been charged with two counts of child neglect after a prior felony drug conviction.
Sherri Janette Farr, 35, who was released from the Payne County Jail on $5,000 bond, has been denied a court-appointed attorney since she posted a sizeable bail, and ordered to appear in court on Dec. 5 with a privately-retained counsel, court records show.
Due to her criminal record, Farr, who has also been known by the surname of Wells-Farr, could be given as much as two life prison terms if convicted of both child neglect counts.
Farr was arrested at 7:39 a.m. on Oct. 16 at the Stillwater Medical Center Emergency Room where she had brought her baby to be seen, Stillwater Police Officer Terry Low wrote in an affidavit.
“Farr appeared to be extremely out of it and acted as if she was on drugs,” a nurse told the officer, the affidavit said.
“On the hospital security camera in the lobby, Farr can be seen slinging her baby around,” the affidavit alleged.
“Farr wasn’t making any sense and couldn’t provide any real details about what was wrong with her daughter,” a nurse told the officer, the affidavit said.
“Farr was fidgeting and kept looking around. Farr’s eyes were extremely bloodshot. Farr was having a difficult time sitting still and kept biting her lips and moving around” – leading the officer to believe she was under the influence of methamphetamine, the affidavit alleged.
While the baby was being attended to by the ER staff, the Stillwater officer talked to Farr, who initially mumbled she had taken codeine, but later admitted “to taking speed,” the affidavit alleged.
“She stated that ‘he’ gave it to me yesterday…I asked when she took the speed. Farr began to tell me that she took it at 11. I asked her if it was 11 a.m. or 11 p.m. and she was unsure. Farr was unsure of the exact day,” the officer alleged in his affidavit.
“Farr quickly changed the subject,” and began to talk about how the baby’s father had done something to the infant, the affidavit alleged.
“Farr mentioned that she had put her daughter to sleep and stepped out to smoke and then when she came back in, she was crying. I reminded Farr that sometimes babies cry and it is perfectly normal. Farr stated that her baby would not stop crying,” the officer wrote in his affidavit.
“I asked Farr if her son was home when she was there and she stated no. Farr was unaware that her son was home alone,” the officer wrote in his affidavit.
“Farr began to talk about her addiction…I asked when the last time was that she used meth. Farr stated, ‘Well he told (me) that the speed was meth,’” the officer alleged in his affidavit.
“I asked Farr how she got her baby to the ER. Farr stated that she drove them. Far was not making any sense while talking to her,” the officer wrote in his affidavit.
After she was arrested for child neglect, “Farr stated that she wished she was dead and asked about getting a ‘hanging jury’” as she was escorted to a sergeant’s patrol car, the affidavit alleged.
When the officer went back into the emergency room, a physician asked if Farr could be brought back for a check of her vital signs, which was done, the affidavit said.
“I stood by with the baby and waited for DHS’ arrival,” the officer wrote in his affidavit.
The ER staff, who had contacted the Department of Human Services, said that the baby was being transported by ambulance to the OU Children’s Hospital, the affidavit said.
According to Payne County court records, Farr had previously been convicted of:
* obtaining a controlled drug by fraud in 2013 for which she was placed on probation in 2014 for three years, except for serving a 30-day jail term;
* passing two or more bogus checks in 2013 for which she was placed on probation in 2014 for one year, with an order to pay $5,334 in restitution.
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