PRESQUE ISLE – The baby sitter charged in the death of a 20-month-old girl remained in jail Friday evening even though her bail was reduced during her first court appearance earlier in the day.

Heather Fortin, 23, of Limestone has been charged with manslaughter in connection with the death of Teairra Leathers, who died June 19 of severe, acute trauma to the head. Police believe the life-ending injury occurred in Fortin’s house on June 18. About 15 minutes after Rena Leathers left her daughter there, Fortin called 911, asking for an ambulance for the baby. Fortin told police she did not harm the girl.

Judge Bernard O’Mara set Fortin’s bail on Friday at $60,000 surety or $25,000 cash during the proceeding at Maine District Court in Presque Isle. Bail was reduced from $200,000 surety or $50,000 cash that had been set after Fortin was arrested Wednesday evening. The state unsuccessfully sought to retain the higher bail.

Court officials said Fortin’s mother indicated after her daughter’s appearance Friday that she would come up with the required bail, but as of 7:15 p.m. Friday, Fortin remained incarcerated at Aroostook County Jail in Houlton.

Fortin appeared before Judge O’Mara by live video feed from the courthouse in Houlton.

Her ankles shackled, Fortin sat quietly in the nearly empty courtroom until the judge called her to the podium, explained her rights and asked her whether she understood the charge against her. “Yes, sir,” she answered in a soft but clear voice. She did not enter a plea during the proceeding.

Steve Nelson, a Houlton lawyer, represented Fortin and asked that her bail be reduced based on several factors, including that she had no criminal record, had completed high school and two years at the University of Maine at Presque Isle, and had lived in Aroostook County her entire life. Nelson also said Fortin was living in a house recently purchased by her mother and stepfather and that she had a fiance.

The conditions of Fortin’s lesser bail were that she follow a curfew, remaining at her Huggard Avenue home from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.; that she have no contact with witnesses in the case; and that she have no contact with any children under 10 years of age, except her own daughter.

Fortin was permitted to maintain contact with her daughter, Keegan, who is almost 2 years old, but only when a court-appointed supervisor is present. O’Mara made Fortin’s mother, Patty Cousins, the court-appointed supervisor. He stipulated that Keegan would live in Cousins’ home and that Fortin and her fiance, Jeremy Waugh, remain at their Huggard Avenue home.

O’Mara also said that, to avoid violating her bail conditions, Fortin would be allowed to see her child only when Cousins was present. He said he would consider adding Cousins’ husband, Kent Cousins, as a court-appointed supervisor for Keegan, once he returned home from Iraq.

Assistant District Attorney Todd Collins, who represented the Maine Attorney General’s Office at the court proceeding, said Friday that though the state’s request for bail was lowered, officials still felt they had reduced any flight risk concerns.

“I think we got enough safeguards in place,” Collins said. “What’s most important to us is that she has no child contact except very strict contact with her own child.”

Cousins and Waugh declined to answer any questions after Fortin’s court appearance, saying they had been advised not to talk to the press.

Fortin’s next court appearance, for a status conference, was set for Sept. 21 in Caribou Superior Court. Her case is expected to go to an Aroostook County grand jury before that date.