By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

A 20-year-old woman who allegedly smoked marijuana while she was pregnant will face felony charges in Shelby County District Court after her case was denied by the Shelby County Drug Court.

In court documents issued on June 12, Drug Court Judge Ron Jackson ordered charges against Alabaster resident Jessica Hayle Campbell to be passed on to District Court Judge Dan Reeves.

Through Drug Court, “intensive treatment, rather than incarceration, is used as the primary means of coping with drug use, abuse and addiction,” according to the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office website.

Those who qualify for the Drug Court program can have their criminal charges dismissed upon successful completion of the program, and can avoid jail or prison time in the process.

“The above-referenced cases shall not be transferred back to the Drug Court docket without the prior approval of the undersigned judge (Ron Jackson),” read the order.

Alabaster police arrested Campbell on one felony charge of chemical endangerment of a child where a controlled substance is produced and one misdemeanor charge of possession of drug paraphernalia on April 20. Campbell lists an address on Treymoor Lake Court in Alabaster.

According to her arrest warrant, Campbell allegedly endangered her unborn child by “smoking marijuana while she was pregnant” on April 18. Her possession of drug paraphernalia charge came when she allegedly had a “glass pipe and bong” used to smoke marijuana at the time of her arrest.

Campbell was released from the Shelby County Jail on May 9, according to court records.

Campbell now faces a preliminary hearing in front of Reeves at 8:30 a.m. on Aug. 14.

Chemical endangerment of a child where a controlled substance is produced is a Class C felony. If convicted of the crime, Campbell could face between one and 10 years in prison.