> but I think it's pretty bad to criticize a woman for deciding to have a child.
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.