BY MICHAEL BOSTIAN
SALISBURY POST

Alen and Carolyn Boyd had their day in court Thursday on child abuse allegations stemming from drug use at the home they share with their daughters.

Judge William Kluttz dismissed the abuse charges and convicted Alen Boyd of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Alen Boyd, 215 Linker Road, had been charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, misdemeanor possession of a Schedule VI controlled substance, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and misdemeanor child abuse Jan. 11.

Carolyn was facing four worthless check charges, misdemeanor child abuse and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Rowan County Sheriff’s Deputy J.R. Schmierer told the judge that Carolyn Boyd was on the front porch when he arrived with a warrant for her arrest on the worthless check charges. He smelled burning marijuana and saw Alen Boyd inside the house, where the Boyds live with their two teen-age daughters.

Schmierer said he recognized the smell and asked Boyd about it.

Alen Boyd produced a small bag of marijuana from a kitchen cabinet, along with a pipe, rolling papers and a set of scales. He told the deputy that they were his and Schmierer arrested him for drug possession.

But it didn’t stop there.

Boyd told the deputy that he often smoked marijuana in his living room. Upon reviewing the case, officials became concerned that children had been exposed to the drug and might have been encouraged to smoke.

Boyd said he did not use the drugs in front of his children, and one of them was not home while he was smoking that evening. His wife had gone outside and his younger daughter was in her bedroom, he said.

Boyd said he used marijuana in secret, and the drugs and paraphernalia had been put back in their hiding spot by the time the deputy showed up.

“There is no evidence that those children were exposed to the marijuana,”said James Davis, defense attorney. “There is no evidence that he caused, encouraged or aided the delinquency of a minor.”

Boyd said he does not want his daughters to use drugs because it can be harmful to a person’s health and addicting. But he said he hadn’t thought about the impact it would have if they caught him smoking marijuana.

“I have seen the light,”he said.

Judge Kluttz consolidated the drug charges under possession of drug paraphernalia and found Boyd guilty of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. He dismissed the misdemeanor child abuse charge and sentenced Boyd to a year of probation.

The judge also dismissed the child abuse charges against Carolyn Boyd and found her not guilty on the contributing charge.

Contact Michael Bostian at 704-797-4280 or mbostian@salisburypost.com .