Jun 27, 2008 10:51 am US/Pacific
USC Student Gets Time Served In Baby Dumping Case
LOS ANGELES
A 23-year-old former USC student whose newborn son was found dead in a trash bin was sentenced Thursday to 30 days in jail -- time served -- on a child endangerment charge.
Holly Ashcraft pleaded no contest to the charge May 20 and admitted to an allegation of child endangerment resulting in death.
Ashcraft was sentenced to five years probation and 695 days already served on electronic monitoring. She was also ordered to have monthly pregnancy tests and take a child abuse prevention program for a year, and if she gets pregnant, to have prenatal care.
The judge asked for a progress report Nov. 14.
The body of the newborn was found on Oct. 10, 2005, by a homeless man sifting through a trash bin behind a bar-restaurant near USC.
Prosecutors have contended that the baby was born alive. Three times they charged Ashcraft with murder, and three times the charge was dismissed for lack of evidence.
The prosecution lost its latest bid last December to reinstate the murder charge.
Her attorney, Mark Geragos, asserted there was no evidence Ashcraft knew she was pregnant or that the baby had been born alive.
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