A Los Angeles Superior Court commissioner this week dismissed the case against “Octomom” Nadya Suleman, who pleaded no contest about three years ago to a misdemeanor count of misrepresentation on a welfare application.
Suleman, who turned 42 today, was ordered in July 2014 to complete 200 hours of community service and serve two years on probation. Her probation was later extended by a year to give her additional time to complete the community service hours.
“Because of medical problems, we agreed with the court that we would forgive a few of the community service hours,” Deputy District Attorney William Clark said after the brief hearing.
The mother of 14, who already had six children when she gave birth to octuplets in 2009, did not appear before Commissioner H. Elizabeth Harris. Suleman’s attorney, Arthur J. LaCilento, said he appreciated that his client was treated fairly by the court and the District Attorney’s Office.
“She has some challenges, but she’s working hard and she loves her children,” he said outside court.
Suleman filed for public assistance in Lancaster in January 2013, after a stint in rehab for anxiety and exhaustion depleted her savings, her representative said at the time.
Prosecutors said Suleman failed to report the extra income she earned through checks for personal appearances and residual from videos in the first six months of 2013.
Suleman—whose real name is Natalie Denise Suleman—made full restitution by the time of her plea, paying back more than $26,000 she had received, according to Clark.
