Mother of dead baby gets probation, house arrest

Nineteen-year-old Marie Adams, sobbing openly in court at her sentencing on a felony charge over the death of her newborn baby, has managed to escape a prison term.

District Judge Lee Gates characterized the death of the baby as "a horrible, horrible crime" and growled that no one in court was speaking on behalf of the victim.

But in the end, he gave the teenager five years probation and house arrest on her plea to a felony child neglect charge. If she does not abide by the terms of probation, including counseling and community service, she faces the possibility of 32 to 144 months in prison.

Adams had concealed her pregnancy from her parents and placed the baby in a plastic bag after giving birth in her Henderson home.

Adams tearfully apologized in court for the Feb. 9 incident and said she didn't intend to harm the baby. She said she didn't know the infant was alive after she gave birth. An autopsy, however, showed the baby had begun breathing and died of asphyxiation.

Adams originally had been charged with second-degree murder -- which carries a mandatory prison term -- but pleaded guilty to the lesser count and a chance at probation.

Deputy District Attorney Vickie Monroe had argued that a prison sentence was warranted in the case and the judge's comments seemed to indicate he was leaning that way. He said, however, he was trying to "find justice" in the case.

Defense attorney Chip Siegel, noting that Adams suffers from a learning disability, argued that the teenager's crime was failing to deal appropriately with her newborn, rather than intending to kill the baby.

"How would society feel better about itself (if Adams were imprisoned)?" Siegel asked.

In a letter, Adams stated that she concealed her pregnancy from her parents because "I was afraid they wouldn't love me anymore."

She indicated she had planned to go to a midwife for the birth and give up the baby for adoption -- never letting her parents know -- but she unexpectedly gave birth in her bathroom.

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