From Andy Furillo
A Sacramento woman whose infant daughter died last year after consuming methamphetamine-contaminated breast milk has pleaded no contest to a single count of felony child abuse.
Maureen Hoffart, 46, entered the plea on Wednesday and is scheduled to be sentenced June 17 by Superior Court Judge Laurie Earl.
Hoffart is expected to receive a four-year suspended state prison sentence, according to her attorney, Kate Carlson. Under the plea agreement, Hoffart will serve 90 days of a year-long county jail sentence, then be confined to house arrest for the remainder of the term. She also will be placed on four years probation and could be sent to prison if she violates its conditions.
According to a police summary of the case, Hoffart admitted to ingesting methamphetamine for two days while breast-feeding her eight-week old daughter, Olivia DiPinto, before the baby died on Jan. 1, 2008.
Carlson said that Hoffart has been off drugs since the death of her daughter and is now raising the baby's twin, Anthony, as well as two boys who are 13 and 10. She also is still living with the children's father.
"They have a very tight, very close-knit family," Carlson said.
Case prosecutor Morgan Gire could not be reached today to comment about the case.
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