Teacher faces drug charges, jail time

Costa Mesa teacher Lisa Carlson Fertig, 39, will be arraigned Monday in a drug-related case, according to the Orange County district attorney’s office. Fertig stands accused of two misdemeanor counts of being under the influence of a controlled substance.

The first charge stems from a March 27 incident in which a concerned family member reported suspicious behavior to police, prosecutors said. When they visited the home of Fertig’s husband, Marc, he appeared to be under the influence of a controlled substance, said Farrah Emami, spokeswoman for the district attorney’s office. They subsequently found Lisa Fertig at a different residence, and she too was allegedly under the influence of a controlled substance, Emami said.

The second incident occurred April 19, when police responded to a 911 call at the Fertig residence, court documents show. Prosecutors claim that the couple were again under the influence of cocaine.

Two other unrelated drug-related charges were dropped against Lisa Fertig, who was placed on administrative leave from her job.

If convicted, Fertig faces up to two years in prison. However, she would be eligible for a first-time drug offender program.

— Paul Oginni