A Modoc County jury convicted Robbie Barnes of felony child endangerment and misdemeanor possession of methamphetamine following a trial concerning the conditions in which she was living with her adolescent daughter.
A June 2025 investigation into the theft of numerous firearms led to a subsequent search of the residence
where Barnes was alleged to have been living, Modoc County Sheriff’s deputies recovered several stolen firearms, methamphetamine, and equipment associated with the production of marijuana “honey oil.”
At trial, Barnes’ defense included the claim that she did not live at the residence when the search warrant
was served. Barnes did not testify, but her mother testified that Barnes did not reside there. The prosecution
presented evidence to the contrary, including photographs of Barnes inside the home, women’s clothing,
and personal grooming items in the residence.
At sentencing on September 21, 2026, Superior Court Judge Randall Harr expressed strong condemnation of the conflicting information presented to the Court, pointing to a court document previously signed by Barnes in which she identified the residence as her address. The Court’s concern was that Barnes had either provided false information in a court document or based her trial defense on information that was not truthful.
The conditions inside the residence presented significant dangers to Barnes’ adolescent daughter. Deputies
discovered methamphetamine and a loaded firearm in close proximity, as well as a disassembled setup
associated with the production of marijuana honey oil. Assistant District Attorney Richard Cotta explained
that an active honey-oil operation involving butane can create highly combustible vapors capable of
igniting or exploding from an ordinary source of ignition, creating a potentially catastrophic danger in an
occupied home.
Despite the Court’s concerns regarding Barnes’ statements and the conditions surrounding her daughter,
she was granted felony probation based on her limited criminal history and the potential impact
incarceration could have on her daughter. A 180-day county jail sentence was stayed pending compliance
with probation. “Our office was mainly concerned with the deplorable conditions in which Ms. Barnes was raising her
adolescent daughter,” Cotta said. “No child should be raised in such despicable-and preventable- conditions.’
The Modoc County District Attorney’s Office expressed satisfaction with the jury’s verdict and thanked the
jurors for their service. Cotta also acknowledged the increasing demands being placed on Modoc County’s
jury system. “Of course, a defendant has both state and federal rights to have a jury determine their guilt or
innocence,” Cotta said. “But if we are going to have law and order in Modoc County, we all have to
shoulder our share of the load.”
