In Commonwealth v. Vela-Garrett, the Pennsylvania Superior Court addressed the defendant’s argument that his conviction for endangering the welfare of a child (EWOC) was not supported by sufficient evidence. The defendant was convicted of driving under the influence of marijuana under 75 Pa.C.S. ยง 3802(d)(1)(iii), a strict-liability offense, and EWOC after he was stopped for having an expired inspection sticker. His child was in the backseat. The Court reversed the EWOC conviction, holding that “the fact of his impairment, alone, did not demonstrate that he knowingly placed his child in danger by driving with the child in the vehicle.”
