In 2010, a California mother was accused of causing the death of her weeks-old son by way of breastfeeding him though she was using methamphetamine.

On Nov. 21, 2010, 6-week-old Michael Acosta III died as a result of “methamphetamine toxicity” caused by the breast milk from his mother, Maggie Wortman.

Though prosecutors were looking to try Wortman for murder, a judge threw out the murder charge, saying their was insufficient evidence to support that she knew the dangers of breastfeeding after smoking meth.

The 27-year-old mother’s healthcare providers would not speak with investigators, refusing to acknowledge whether they had informed Wortman of the dangers of breastfeeding while on drugs, citing doctor-patient confidentiality.

Ultimately, Wortman pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter, with Deputy District Attorney Ben McLaughlin saying that if she had not taken the plea, the murder charge against Wortman would have been refiled.

Having taken the plea, Wortman will be sentenced on March 5. She also pled guilty to violating her parole and to a child endangerment charge from 2009. She faces anywhere from probation to 12 years in prison for the death of her infant son.

Had she been convicted of murder, since she is in the state of California, Wortman would have been facing 15 years to life in prison.