Dads Against the Divorce Industry

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Mom of drunk baby appears in court

Infant had dangerously high blood alcohol content

By Craig Smith
www.msnbc.com

GLENS FALLS, N.Y., Oct. 3, 2003 - A Glens Falls woman accused of being so drunk at the time she gave birth that she endangered her baby appeared Friday in Glens Falls City Court.

Stacy Gilligan, 22, was charged with endangering the welfare of a child after her baby was born with a 0.18 blood alcohol content.

     GILLIGAN WAS INITIALLY offered a chance to be let out of jail to get treatment for alcoholism.  However, she was not released because of an outstanding warrant in Saratoga County where she violated the terms of her probation after being convicted of stealing checks from an elderly man she worked for two years ago.
     Gilligan remains in the Warren County jail.  A protection order is also keeping her away from her baby boy who was essentially born drunk on Sept. 26.  The baby's blood alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit for an adult to be considered to drunk to drive a car -- 0.08.
     Gilligan filed a statement with the court that says she went out on Friday, Sept. 26 and had several drinks.  She says she then got into an argument with a bartender she'd been seeing for a week.
     According to Warren County District Attorney Kate Hogan, it was a physical altercation that caused Gilligan's water to break.  
     Glens Falls Hospital alerted authorities after the baby's blood alcohol level was measured.
     Hogan says if Gilligan had been sober when her baby was born, she wouldn't be facing charges.        
     "Our theory of the prosecution is at the time the baby drew its first breath, she was connected to him by the umbilical cord and at that time she was so lethal with alcohol, that his blood alcohol content was 0.18," Hogan explained.
     Gilligan admitted before the court that she has a problem.  She says she is stressed because her husband won't let her see her two other children and that she knows she needs help.
     "I have always had depression my whole life," Gilligan said.  "I did not want to hurt my baby and never thought of hurting him, but I have a drinking problem and I would like help for it."
     The baby is in foster care with a Warren County agency.  No details are available on his condition.
     Two years ago, after Gilligan was sentenced for stealing checks, she was put on probation under the conditions she pays back the money and report to a probation officer.  Saratoga County District Attorney James Murphy says Gilligan violated those conditions and was re-sentenced.  She again she got probation under the same conditions and, according to Murphy, she violated probation again.
     Gilligan's mother has said she tried repeatedly to set her daughter straight.
     Gilligan had no friends or family in court with her Friday.

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