Patience Rousseau Receives $1.6 Million Settlement After Miscarriage Conviction Overturned

Patience Rousseau, a woman from rural Nevada who served two years in prison for a manslaughter conviction linked to her miscarriage in 2018, has been awarded a $1.6 million settlement from Humboldt County. Rousseau, who was just 26 at the time, miscarried her pregnancy and was later convicted under a century-old Nevada law that criminalizes attempts to terminate a pregnancy after the 24-week mark. Her conviction was overturned in 2021 due to ineffective legal representation.

The settlement, finalized in early August and received recently, includes approximately $1.2 million designated for Rousseau. After the traumatic experience, which involved separation from her children and public stigma, she plans to use the funds for housing, purchasing a car for her mother, and opening a store focused on rare aquatic species. While the settlement brings closure, Rousseau expressed disappointment that the county did not face more significant consequences.