Talk about the wheels of justice moving slowly
This case wouldn't be prosecuted at all if not for the public scrutiny. The question left largely unanswered was what favors did elizabeth exchange with these old powerful men to get them to first invest and then to become unnindicted coconspirators in her schemes.
Why? I think you shouldn't criticize the child itself but if the woman is bringing it into this world for a nefarious reason like likely playing for a jury's sympathy during a trial, revenge, exploiting immigration loopholes or blackmail. Why shouldn't she be criticized over it? It usually also means that the child will be neglected, in one form or another, after it served its purpose.
Have you ever met a real-life sociopath? I have. Holmes appears a like bona-fide sociopath trying every dirty trick to manipulate her surroundings, playing the "poor woman" card to weasel out of a harsh sentence.