L.I. Woman Freed From Jail To Get Transplant Screening

NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- A Long Island woman, who was serving 15 months in the Nassau County jail after pleading guilty to petit larceny charges for stealing merchandise from a department store, was set free by a judge Thursday to get a heart transplant screening.

1010 WINS' Mona Rivera with McCloud's attorney, Leonard Isaacs

Diane McCloud, 47, of Hempstead, came to court by ambulance and was brought into the courtroom in a hospital bed with an IV attached.

Her attorney Leonard Isaacs says within the last week he was informed by a cardiologist at Nassau University Medical Center that McCloud would be dead within six months without a heart transplant.

"She knew she had a heart problem however it was just in the last week that it seemed to exacerbate" Isaacs said.

Isaacs made an emergency motion to get McCloud released for a transplant screening. The DA agreed with the motion. The judge called this a case of "compassion" and vacated McCloud's conviction and sentence pending results of the transplant screening.

McCloud nodded but said nothing when the judge announced she would be allowed to seek treatment. McCloud's sister said she was very happy with the decision. "She got a loving family. she got the support that she need," she said.