Staff photo / Chris McBride Attorney Kristin Maxwell, left, with her client Aris Rice, 32, of Warren, as she’s sentenced to 12 months in jail Tuesday in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court in connection to the October overdose death of her son, 1.

WARREN — A city mother will spend a year behind bars after her child died from consuming a liquid medication.

Aris Rice received the sentence Tuesday on charges of involuntary manslaughter and child endangering from Trumbull County Common Pleas Judge Andrew D. Logan.

Before announcing sentencing the judge told Rice, “There’s nothing I can do here today that is going to harm you as much as thinking back on your child, and you are going to do that for the rest of your life,” he said. “That’s gonna be the worst sentence you could have, spending your life knowing that you let your child down.”

The case against Rice stemmed from a Sept. 24 investigation after her 1-year-old son was found unresponsive and not breathing in their home by an emergency medical team.

The child died Oct. 1. Lab results discovered the presence of methadone in his system.

Rice wept at the podium as her attorney told of her history battling drug addiction and the upward trajectory of her life up until she was criminally charged in her son’s death.

“She always took responsibility. She knows this happened on her watch,” attorney Kristin Maxwell said. “She will be sorry for the rest of her life.”

Maxwell pointed to the coroner’s report, which she said showed the death was an accident. Maxwell was joined by attorney Alexander Keane in representing Rice.

Prosecuting attorney Diane Barber said while there was no intent to harm on the mother’s part, the child’s death resulted from clear negligence.

Regarding the coroner’s report, she said the office made a medical legal determination made from limited options.

Barber also said Rice was part of a take-home program with Meridian Health Care for her single-dose bottled methadone prescription. Each dose is sealed with foil, Barber said. The assistant prosecuting attorney said the doses were required to be kept inside a locked container with a passcode chosen by Rice. Otherwise, Barber said, the child wouldn’t have been able to access them.

“This is so important to Meridian they make their clients sign a written contract stating they’ll keep those liquid doses in a locked container and somehow that didn’t happen in this case and it resulted in tragic consequences,” Barber said.