A Wichita Falls woman has been sentenced for the third time for endangering her children with drugs.

Amber Herring, 32, entered an open plea to her third charge of child endangerment, and after a day of defense character witnesses speaking for Herring, Judge Charles Barnard gave her 2 years in state jail.

In her previous case, Herring was sentenced to 20 months in state jail. Before that, in 2010, Herring pleaded guilty to child endangerment and got five years deferred probation which she apparently violated and then had to serve 16 months in jail.

According to the testimony, the cases involve three of her kids and involved relationships with three different men. Defense character witnesses included her AA sponsor and foster parents of her children.
Herring testified in her own behalf saying she has not had a positive drug screening result for about 18 months, and she still attends and leads AA classes though no longer required to.

She said two of her four children do not know she is their mother and said each child has a different father.

Prosecutor Starla Jones asked for a two-five year sentence and pointed out health and learning problems may show up years later in children exposed to meth.

Herring’s children range in age from nine months to 8 years.

Records and past stories indicate Herring was charged in 2010 for child endangerment when police said she took one of her children to the father’s home which was raided by police and drugs were found. She received five years probation but violated the probation and had to serve jail time.

In 2013, Herring was sentenced to 20 months in state jail when police said she left a week old infant alone in a motel room to go get and smoke meth.      

Officers said the baby girl was crying and cold to the touch when they arrived.

The latest charge involves her then eight-month-old baby who tested positive for meth in 2016.