South St. Paul (trfnews.i234.me) — South St. Paul City Council member Pam Bakken will not face criminal charges after a disturbing incident where a 3-year-old child tested positive for methamphetamine following a stay at her in-home daycare.
The Dakota County Attorney’s Office announced Tuesday that prosecutors would not pursue charges. They cited an inability to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the child ingested the drug while under Bakken’s care. Authorities explained that the timing of the child’s symptoms made it impossible to determine when and where the exposure occurred.
Even if ingestion had occurred at the daycare, prosecutors said they would not have been able to establish that Bakken knew meth was present in her home or that she had failed to provide necessary supervision.
The case had sparked major controversy in South St. Paul, with several community members and officials calling for Bakken’s resignation during the course of the investigation.
Although no charges will be filed, the fallout isn’t over for Bakken. Her in-home daycare license remains suspended indefinitely as a result of the investigation.
The initial investigation had been turned over to the Lakeville Police Department to avoid potential conflicts of interest due to Bakken’s role as an elected official.
As of now, Bakken remains on the South St. Paul City Council, although pressure continues to mount regarding her political future.
Did you know?
Minnesota law requires prosecutors to meet a very high burden of proof in criminal cases involving childcare, especially when controlled substances are involved, and a lack of direct evidence often makes charges nearly impossible.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.