Melissa Ann Rowland, the woman originally charged with murder for delaying a Caesarean section, was released from jail Thursday after being sentenced on lesser charges.
Rowland, 28, will enter an inpatient rehabilitation program in Indiana that apparently will provide mental-health and substance-abuse treatment.
As part of a plea bargain, she previously pleaded guilty to two counts of third-degree felony child endangerment. She gave birth in January to twins, one stillborn and one with drugs in her system.
Rowland was released from the Salt Lake County Jail just after 3:30 p.m. Thursday with a small plastic bag of personal items. She said that the clothes she was wearing and $150 in cash were all the possessions she had in the world.
"It's wonderful," she said when asked by the media how it felt to be out. "I'm anxious to get out of here. The fresh air feels great."
Despite being upbeat about being released, Rowland was still a little bitter about all that had happened to her.
"The district attorney was wrong. I should not have been charged with criminal homicide," she said.
Rowland said she entered the plea bargain only because she was guilty of doing drugs, not because she killed her baby.
Rowland's case made national news and outraged women's groups, patients-rights advocates and others.
Court documents said various doctors and nurses at three local hospitals told Rowland on different occasions starting Dec. 25, 2003, that her pregnancy had serious complications endangering the babies. But she resisted strong recommendations to have an emergency surgical delivery and left each facility against medical advice, according to court documents.
Thursday, Rowland adamantly denied the allegations about the C-section.
"I never refused a C-section," she said.
Rowland said Thursday that from the day she found out she was pregnant she knew she would have to have a C-section.
Rowland delivered the twins Jan. 13 by Caesarean section, with a twin boy born dead and a twin girl born alive but with cocaine in her system. The girl has since been adopted.
Third District Judge Dennis Fuchs sentenced Rowland to two terms of zero-to-5 years in prison to run concurrently, but he suspended the prison sentence and put Rowland on "good behavior" probation for 18 months.
"It's obvious Miss Rowland has been one of those people who has fallen through the cracks her entire life," the judge said. "It's a travesty we can't adequately deal with individuals like Miss Rowland."
Fuchs said Rowland had suffered her entire life and that the two children she bore in Utah also suffered.
"Miss Rowland, I hope you get the treatment you need," Fuchs said. "I hope this kind of thing never occurs again in your life or anyone else's life. If you should decide to have children again, I hope you do it properly and under good, strict medical care."
Rowland said she would be leaving tonight for Indiana to enter a drug treatment program. She said the past few months in jail have given her time to think and re-evaluate her life.
"I think my mental health is good," she said. "It's a lot better than it has been my entire life."
Rowland said her long-term goals are to go to college and get off public assistance. She also said she wants to stay off drugs and does not want to have any more children.
"I'm going to get into counseling and pretty much stay there," she said.
Rowland's attorney, Michael Sikora, did not want to release details of the program Rowland will be entering but outlined in court Rowland's lengthy history of mental illness that began at age 12 when she was institutionalized.
Sikora said Rowland's mother was mentally retarded and died soon after giving birth to Rowland, who was premature, had low birth weight and had birth defects that required hospitalization before Rowland was adopted. Rowland's twin brother had serious birth defects that prevented him from being adopted, and he died at age 7.
Sikora said Rowland early on began showing signs of psychiatric problems, was diagnosed with oppositional defiant disorder with histrionic traits, and still displays a tendency toward extreme neediness, emotional outbursts and self-destructive behavior.
Sikora said Rowland had attempted suicide more than once while in the Salt Lake County Jail.
"It's frightening how little has changed from the time she was 12 to the present day," Sikora said. "She's a very vulnerable person."
Rowland, however, disputed that claim outside the jail Thursday. She said she "accidentally" took one too many of her pills and did not attempt suicide.
Prosecutor Robert Stott later said he agreed with the sentence and said the district attorney's office was pleased Rowland had made a public admission of guilt, been convicted and taken responsibility for her actions.
He said the district attorney's office did not know of Rowland's mental-health problems until after the murder charge had been lodged.
Individual women and advocates for various causes have rallied around Rowland, visiting her in jail, attending her court hearings and providing two suitcases with donated clothes, toiletries and personal-care items.
"We feel this case was an incredible waste of money for the state of Utah," said Susan Vogel of the social justice organization CodePink. "I'd like to see the wages of the Salt Lake prosecutors garnished to pay for this."
Vogel said women in Rowland's situation "need information, not punishment" and that the system "shipped her out of state" rather than helping her.
Lorna Vogt, director of Utah Progressive Network, criticized the three hospitals Rowland visited before eventually giving birth for violating Rowland's privacy and not assisting her. Vogt said health-care professionals should have recognized Rowland had profound mental-health problems and obtained a psychiatric evaluation for her, and if they were so concerned about the twins could have sought a court order for an emergency Caesarean section.
Andrea Moore Emmett, president of the Utah chapter of the National Organization for Women, said Rowland's case could deter other women from getting treatment for drug or mental-health problems when pregnant for fear of being prosecuted.
"We're still criminalizing a woman for having an illness," she said.
E-mail: lindat@desnews.com; preavy@desnews.com