BOCA RATON, Fla. (CBS12) — A Boca Raton mother who pleaded guilty to the death of her newborn will not serve prison time but is now a convicted felon after the State of Florida asked a judge to correct what prosecutors called an illegal sentence, court records say.
In 2023, Bianca DeSouza, 23, was charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child and child neglect causing great bodily harm. She later pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 137 days time served, 10 years of probation, and court-ordered inpatient treatment with strict supervision in New Mexico.
On February 10, Florida filed a motion to correct Bianca DeSouza’s sentence, calling it illegal. Under Florida law, the manslaughter charge carries a sentence of up to 30 years in prison. Prosecutors argued the sentence was unlawful because DeSouza had not been formally adjudicated guilty of the manslaughter count. Court records note that for a first-degree felony, a judge cannot withhold adjudication…