Judith Anne Badrian Tetreault
Prince Frederick, MD – The trial of a Calvert County woman indicted in connection with the alleged abuse of her grandchild has been rescheduled for late November. The defendant, Judith Anne Tetreault, 55 of Lusby, was indicted by a grand jury in March on six counts, including first-degree child abuse with severe physical injury, second-degree child abuse of a child in the defendant’s custody, controlled dangerous substance (CDS) distribution of a narcotic and attempted poisoning—all felonies. Misdemeanor counts included in the indictment are neglect of a minor and reckless endangerment.
On Aug. 10, Tetreault appeared in Circuit Court before Judge Mark Chandlee. She was represented by Assistant Public Defender Luke E. Woods, who requested a Hick’s Waiver, which voids the defendant’s right to a speedy trial. Tetreault’s defense is hoping to obtain medical records relevant to the case and possibly have a medical expert testify on her behalf. According to court records, Tetreault has been free on bail since late May.
The charges stem from an incident that occurred Feb. 9 at Tetreault’s residence. On that day, the defendant’s 17-month-old grandson was dropped off at her residence by the child’s mother. According to Detective William Rector of the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office, the child’s mother received text messages from Tetreault indicating the child would not stop crying. Rector stated in court documents that Tetreault also texted that the child’s “stomach was hard.” In other text messages Tetreault stated, “don’t be mad at me” and “I didn’t drug him,” court documents stated.
Rector stated that when the child was picked up later that afternoon, the mother “found him to be lethargic and purple in color.” The child was rushed to Calvert Memorial Hospital where the emergency room staff administered several doses of Narcan. The child was subsequently taken to Georgetown University Medical Center.
According to court documents, at Georgetown the child “was treated extensively for a methadone overdose.” The court documents cited the Maryland Department of Child Protective Services, which reported that “medical staff determined that [the child] tested positive for methadone from a blood test.” Department officials initially reported the incident to the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office.
According to Rector, evidence gathered in the case included the child’s sippy cup—which the child’s moth stated smelled funny—and “a number of empty and half-full methadone containers” located during a search of Tetreault’s residence. According to police, the child’s condition later improved.
(Editor’s note: Several different spellings of the defendant’s last name have appeared in various police reports and court documents. We are spelling her name as it now appears in the Circuit Court docket summary).
Previous reports
UPDATED March 22 – Indictment handed down
Prince Frederick, MD – A Calvert County woman accused of drugging her grandson has been indicted by a grand jury, court documents stated. The six-count indictment was filed in Calvert County Circuit Court March 22. The defendant, Judith Anne Tetrault, 55 of Lusby, was arrested back in February and has remained incarcerated without bond. The indictment counts are first-degree child abuse, severe physical injury; second-degree child abuse while a child was in her custody, distribution of a controlled dangerous substance (CDS) narcotic, attempted poisoning, neglect of a minor and reckless endangerment.
According to court documents, the 17-month-old child was dropped off at Tetrault’s residence Feb. 9 by the child’s mother. The investigator, Detective William Rector, reported the mother received text messages from Tetrault indicating the child would not stop crying “and that his stomach was hard.” In other text messages Tetrault sent stated “don’t be mad at me” and “I did not drug him.”
When the baby’s mother picked the child up later in the afternoon “she found him to be lethargic and purplish in color.” The child’s parents soon realized the baby was sick and needed medical attention. Rector reported that emergency room staff at Calvert Memorial Hospital administered “several doses of Naloxone [Narcan], which alleviated some of the medical concerns. The medical staff did not feel that [the baby’s] medical condition was improving and arranged for [him] to be transferred to Georgetown University Medical Center for further evaluation. [The baby] was treated extensively for a methadone overdose and was monitored for cardiac and respiratory issues. The medical staff listed [the child] in critical/acute status. Medical staff, according to Child Protective Services, determined that [the child] tested positive for methadone from a blood test.”
According to court documents, the child’s mother told medical staff that the child’s “sippy cup smelled funny.” The cup still contained liquid. A search and seizure warrant was executed at Tetrault’s home. The search yielded “a number of empty and half-full methadone containers along with other items.”
The baby’s condition has since improved, the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office reported.
Tetrault is scheduled to be arraigned in Calvert County Circuit Court Monday, March 27. Her criminal jury trial is tentative scheduled for August. According to court records, Tetrault is being represented by the local public defender.
Contact Marty Madden at marty.madden@thebaynet.com
Lusby, MD – A Calvert County woman accused of giving her 1-year-old grandson methadone has been identified through court records as Judith Anne Badrian Tetrealt, 55 of Lusby. Tetrealt was arrested without incident at her residence Saturday, Feb. 11. After a bond review in District Court Feb. 13, authorities will continue to hold her without bond. A preliminary hearing on the case is tentatively scheduled for March 13 in District Court.
The medical staff at Georgetown University Medical Center has listed the child in critical/acute status, suffering from methadone overdose.
Tetrealt is currently charged with first-and second-degree child abuse, attempted poisoning, first-degree assault, neglect of a minor and distribution of a controlled dangerous substance.
Contact Marty Madden at marty.madden@thebaynet.com
Press release from Calvert County Sheriff’s Office issued Saturday, Feb. 11
Lusby, MD – On Friday Feb. 10 the Maryland Department of Child Protective Services called the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office to report a child that appeared to have been poisoned. Detectives learned that on February 9 a mother rushed a 1-year-old boy to Calvert Memorial Hospital. An investigation determined the child had earlier been in the care of his grandmother in her Lusby residence. A short time after the mother picked the infant up he appeared to be very lethargic and was exhibiting symptoms of being poisoned. She immediately rushed the child to the emergency room. The medical staff began treating the infant by administering several doses of Naloxone. The infant was eventually transferred to the Georgetown University Medial Center for further evaluation. It was determined the child was suffering from a methadone overdose. He was treated extensively for the overdose and was monitored for cardiac and respiratory issues. The medical staff listed the child in critical/acute status.
Based on the investigation the grandmother in this case has been charged on a warrant with child abuse first-degree, assault first-degree, and distribution of a controlled dangerous substance.
At this time the sheriff’s office is not releasing the grandmother’s name. The grandmother was arrested on the warrant at her residence Saturday afternoon around 12:30 p.m. without incident.