Hilary Neiman Sentencing Outcome

Just wanted to give a heads up since I read it this morning and we discussed it last summer.  The first person — Hilary Neiman — who was accused with Theresa Erickson and Carla Chambers of operating a baby selling ring within surrogacy/adoption, was sentenced to five months in prison.  According to the article, she also will “serve seven months of home detention, forfeit $133,000 in profits and set aside $20,000 for restitution.”  

Theresa Erickson and Carla Chambers will be sentenced some time in early 2012.

Last summer, when I first read about it, I knew exactly how I felt.  This morning, reading about the jail time, my feelings are murkier.  Maybe because the court began with Neiman, a fellow Marylander who is about my age.  Maybe because there is a difference between accusations and guilty pleas that involve reputations/professions and jail sentencings that involve time.  I said in that second post:

I have a lot of fears right now, and I’m finding it very difficult to return to that rosy, rational place where I was comfortable in my beliefs.  Where I knew that exploiters exist — does Madoff ring any bells? — and they may even cross my path, but the vast majority of people I surround myself with have my best interests at heart even if they want compensation for their work.  I know I will get back to that place because if that is your natural state, you always return to that place.  But right now, I’m waiting for this feeling to pass so I can return to a place of trust.  Because what else can I do when I have this need and I require others to help me fulfill it?

I still believe that is my natural state.  I still don’t think that I’ve fully returned to my place of trust.  Maybe my murky feelings have something to do about noticing that within myself.