Bad Idea May Merit Stiff Sentence

Former Northwest flight attendant Daniel Cunningham, 39, or ANN Arbor (MI), pleaded guilty Monday to putting Xanax in a 19-month-old baby girl's juice, apparently to quiet her on last Amsterdam-Detroit flight.

Her mother, Beate Turner, saw some blue specks in the juice, and noted that it tasted bitter. She took the concoction (ten days later) to University Laboratories in Novi (MI), where Xanax was confirmed. The baby was apparently unharmed.

Cunningham was charged with assaulting an individual under the age of 16, distributing a controlled substance aboard an aircraft, and importing a controlled substance. Possibly underlining an paranoia of sorts about drugs, the sentences could be as high as five years and a fine of $250,000 for each of the drug charges; the assault charge has a maximum sentence of just one year, and $100,000.

The family said it was satisfied. Northwest said, "He was let go right after the incident so there is nothing we can do... We cooperated fully with the authorities. We are pleased that justice has been served."

FMI: www.nwa.com