As she approached the Finney County Sheriff’s Office Monday, Shona Banda, the local medicinal marijuana advocate who gained national attention after the state took custody of her son, was surrounded by supporters, including Jennifer Winn, the Republican candidate who challenged Gov. Sam Brownback in last August’s primary.
Banda, accompanied by her attorney Sarah Swain and several others, turned herself in at the Law Enforcement Center at 2 p.m. Monday. Several local media outlets gathered outside along with other supporters.
Banda was charged June 5 with endangering a child, distribution or possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of school property, unlawful manufacture of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Three of the charges are felonies and Banda faces a potential sentence of 11 to 17 years.
Following her client’s surrender, Swain held a press conference where she fielded questions about the case, Banda’s health, and the status of the child-in-need-of-care custody case involving her 11-year-old son.
Swain believes the combination of charges, because of their respective severity levels, could land Banda in jail for more than 30 years if she is convicted and sentenced.