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Judge frets over addict's kids
By Joe Gorman
YOUNGSTOWN
Amy Kaminsky said she is confident her 18-year-old child will not be doing drugs because she has a perfect example of what can happen to an addict.
Herself.
Kaminsky was sentenced to two years’ probation Thursday in municipal court by Judge Elizabeth Kobly after she pleaded no contest and was found guilty on a misdemeanor charge of possession of a drug-abuse instrument. Police found her with a needle May 28, according to court records.
After being asked, Kaminsky told Judge Kobly she has been addicted to heroin “on and off” for 10 years. Kaminsky said she was clean for three years but relapsed six months ago. When asked why, Kaminsky said she couldn’t explain it.
“I don’t even know exactly what happened,” Kaminsky said. “I thought I was able to talk to people I used to talk to — and apparently I couldn’t.”
In another answer to a question, Kaminsky said she has two children, the 18-year-old and another child who is 7. She said her mother watches her children when she is taking drugs.
The judge said she is worried her children, beginning with her oldest, will also be addicts, but Kaminsky said she is pretty sure her own experiences have scared her oldest child from ever wanting to take drugs.
“He’s learned from watching me, thank God,” Kaminsky said.
But Judge Kobly said she was not sure that was true.
“That statement that just came out of your mouth is very sad,” Kaminsky said.
Judge Kobly said that children of addicts are almost bound to be addicts themselves. She pointed to a woman who appeared before her earlier this week who was in the Mahoning County jail on drug charges and had two sisters also in the jail with her who are drug users.
The judge said she can’t believe that anyone would choose to take heroin over caring for their own children.
“The least you can do for them [children] is not fry your brain,” Judge Kobly said. “But that’s the problem with heroin. It takes over every fiber of your being.” Kaminsky’s lawyer, Katherine Rudzik, said the fact her client was clean for such a long time before she relapsed is a good sign. Kaminsky also told the judge she is going to treatment again.