Nov 8, 2007 2:29 pm US/Pacific
Bail Reduced For Student Accused Of Killing Baby
LOS ANGELES (CBS) ―
A USC student who has been charged three times with murder -- and then had the charges dismissed for lack of evidence -- in connection with the death of her newborn, had her bail reduced Thursday by a judge.
Holly Ashcraft, 22, of Billings, Mont., is currently facing charges of involuntary manslaughter and child abuse, according to prosecutors.
Her bail was reduced to $50,000 from $200,000 by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Kathleen Kennedy.
"We're pleased," said Ashcraft's attorney, Mark Geragos. "It's been two years of at times torturous proceedings, but this makes me think the end is in sight for this kid."
Ashcraft is accused of dumping her newborn son's body in a trash bin in an alley near the university in Oct. 2005.
The baby's body was found by a homeless man sifting through a trash bin behind the 29th Street Cafe, a popular USC hangout.
Prosecutors allege the baby was born alive, but Geragos maintains there was no evidence Ashcraft knew she was pregnant or that the baby was alive when born.
Thursday's ruling helps Ashcraft's family financially by reducing the premiums on the bail payments, Geragos said.
The judge denied a request by Geragos to release Ascraft on her own recognizance. Ashcraft has been free on bail for the past two years with electronic home monitoring.
In a recent ruling, a judge dropped the order for electronic monitoring, Geragos said.
Ashcraft had a previous pregnancy that resulted in birth in April 2004. She initially denied having been pregnant, but later said she had given birth to a stillborn in her dormitory's bathroom.
She told authorities she put that baby in a trash can at the USC dorms.
That infant's remains were never found, and Ashcraft was never arrested or charged in connection with that case.
(© 2007 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
