ATLANTA — Diana Elliot, the Atlanta mother who said she was overwhelmed when she left her son with special needs at Grady Hospital earlier this month and then received an outpouring of support from other mothers, appeared in court again on Thursday.
She faces one felony charge of child cruelty.
Elliot was said to have appeared before a judge, who continued her case and scheduled a hearing for her at a later date. It is not clear when that court date is.
Reached outside court, Elliot and a representative told 11Alive they could not comment on her case at this time.
Elliot is free after being granted a signature bond at an earlier court proceeding. At that hearing, a group of moms showed up in an extraordinary show of solidarity.
RELATED: Moms show up at court to support 'overwhelmed' mom who left son with Down syndrome at hospital
Elliot had no previous criminal record and had never been arrested before. She argued she felt completely overwhelmed trying to care for her son and the other three of her children, and dropped him off at a place she thought he would be safe.
Police said he was found wandering around outside the hospital alone and allege he was malnourished. The boy is said to be non-verbal. He and his three siblings are currently in the care of the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS).
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At her previous hearing, the other mothers said they knew the difficult place Elliot was coming from.
The Executive Director of the National Down Syndrome Association said they will bring their support to this case for as long as Elliot needs it.
“This isn’t just today,” said Sheryl Arno. “We are not leaving her. We are not leaving this family. We are in this for the long haul”
She is being represented by Macon attorney Brian Jarrad, who is working pro bono. He has three adopted sons with Down syndrome, like Elliot's child, and has said jail is not the right place for her.
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