AUBURN — A Lewiston man facing a manslaughter charge stemming from the death of his nearly 1-year-old son will be allowed to use medical marijuana while on bail.

Acting on a motion by the defense, a judge at Androscoggin County Superior Court on Monday approved a change in the bail conditions for Sean St. Amand, 28, who also was indicted on a misdemeanor count of endangering the welfare of a child.

St. Amand has been free on $2,500 cash bail and a supervision contract since his arraignment on the two charges in November, when he pleaded not guilty to both. Conditions for his release had included no unsupervised contact with the two children at his home. He also was barred from having alcohol or illegal drugs and was subject to random search and testing for both.

A judge said Monday that St. Amand could use medical marijuana, for which he has a certificate, but only at his home and not in the presence of anyone under age 21.

A hearing on St. Amand’s motion to suppress statements he made to law enforcement officials was set for October.

If convicted on the manslaughter charge, St. Amand could be sentenced up to 30 years in prison.

Police said St. Amand on Oct. 20 placed his son, Sean St. Amand Jr., in a bathtub with the boy’s sister, Shay-Lynn. The father left them for an undetermined length of time. When he returned, the boy was unresponsive. He was taken by ambulance to Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston, where he was pronounced dead. Shay-Lynn St. Amand was nearly 2 years old at the time of the incident.

Police said the incident took place at 125 Pierce St. in Lewiston. The boy’s mother, Jennifer Everett, had been taking a nap in the apartment at the time.

Police did not know why the father left the room or how long he was gone.

An autopsy by the State Medical Examiner’s office revealed the baby died from drowning. It found no drugs in his system.

cwilliams@sunjournal.com

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