Mom who left twins in car pleads guilty

By Matt Pordum

Monday, June 28, 2004 | 9:16 a.m.

A mother who left her 8-month-old twins in her car while she went shopping was sentenced to community service and required to finish a parenting class after pleading guilty to lesser charges on Friday.

Kathy Lawson, 28, pleaded guilty to one count of misdemeanor disorderly conduct before Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Karen Bennett-Haron. Lawson was originally charged with two felony counts of child endangerment after her twins were found unattended by Metro Police in her black Volkswagen Jetta outside a Burlington Coat Factory at Eastern and Tropicana avenues on April 20.

Customers at the Burlington Coat Factory said the infants had been in the car for at least 30 minutes, police said. The infants were warm but not harmed.

Lawson received a suspended sentence of 30 days in prison, will have to perform 30 hours of community service and must complete a parenting class that she had already started taking a few weeks earlier.

Lawson also was ordered to pay a $300 fine, but credit for the three days she spent in prison reduced the fine to $75.

Child Protective Services closed the case on Lawson after determining everything was "in order" at Lawson's home.