The Jacksonville teenager accused of abandoning her newborn baby in a dumpster is set to be sentenced as a juvenile, with an adult sentencing stayed for review.
The 19-year-old, who was 17 when she was arrested in September of 2014, pleaded “guilty” to first-degree attempted murder on Thursday in Morgan County Court.
Representing the State was Morgan County Assistant State’s Attorney Chad Turner. Turner informed the court the State would have presented evidence that the teenager placed a newborn infant in a garbage dumpster in Jacksonville on August 30th of 2014, knowing it would cause bodily harm to the child.
Detailing the history of the case, Turner noted the teenager originally denied involvement with the baby after it was found in the dumpster by a member of the community.
Turner says the teenager admitted to giving birth to a baby days later and, after an interview with law enforcement, acknowledged placing the newborn in a dumpster.
Turner stated the Class X felony carries a possible sentence of six to thirty years in the Illinois Department of Corrections with fines up to $25,000 and a three-year mandatory supervised release.
After waiving her rights and accepting the State’s recommendation, Turner explained the teenager would be sentenced as a juvenile to five years of probation. An adult sentence, which will be stayed for review, consisted of 15 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, a three year mandatory supervised release and court costs only.
Turner noted the case falls under the Truth in Sentencing guidelines, so the teenager must serve at least 85-percent of the sentence.
The State accept the request that the teenager be released from home detention until the disposition hearing on September 29th at 11 a.m.