Under New Utah Law, Miscarriage Could Get You Life in Prison

[trueblue2007]

Only 5 paragraphs to this story. Please read. This is unconstitutional.

http://womensrights.change.org/blog/view/under_new_utah_law_miscarriage_could_get_you_life_in_prison

<snip>

A storm of controversy against the original version of the law criminalizing miscarriages led lawmakers to submit a revised version. Unfortunately, all they did was drop the word "reckless," re-passed the legislation, and had the governor sign into law a bill under which miscarriages caused by "intentional or knowing acts" could get a woman locked away for the rest of her life for murder.

Now, every time a woman in Utah miscarries -- which happens in 10-25% of pregnancies -- not only does she have to deal with the disappointment of losing a pregnancy she perhaps deeply wanted, she has to worry about getting thrown in prison for 15 years to life. While the new language is slightly narrower, it still leaves the door wide open for women becoming murder suspects and being investigated simply for being among the one in four pregnant women who suffer a miscarriage. And "knowing or intentional acts" isn't the most precise language: what if you're a smoker who can't manage to quit -- is that a knowing or intentional act? What if you're stuck in what you know is an abusive relationship and miscarry after getting beaten up? It's a slippery slope to legislating total control over a pregnant woman's body.

Even in the anti-choice camp, it's unusual for an elected official to publicly support harsh jail sentences for women who receive illegal abortions, making this measure an alarming new development. You can thank State Representative Carl Wimmer for this. He makes no bones about the fact that he's trying to chip away at Roe v. Wade; meanwhile, the Utah state legislature has refused to even discuss a measure that would clarify what can be taught in sex education classes, an action that could actually reduce unplanned pregnancies and the need for abortion, unlike this miscarriage-criminalizing law.

[sarge43]

1. And we all know who will be targeted, don't we?

So, what are Utah doctors saying about this? Now do they have to report to authorities every miscarriage by name they treat?

[thecrow]

2. I would imagine any doctor worth his salt will exit Utah

along with any woman who even imagines she's pregnant.

[sarge43]

3. If I were an OBGYN doctor in Utahistan, I'd seriously think about shifting addresses. n/t

[Spazito]

4. Huh, a miscarriage could result in a woman going to prison but...

hot tubbing nude with a minor and then paying her off to keep quiet about it gets hugs and sympathy from the same legislators. Says it all, imo.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700016009/House-Majority-Leader-Kevin-Garn-admits-to-incident-with-girl-in-past.html?pg=2

[thecrow]

5. Not to mention the newspaper which was NOT doing its job!

[The_Commonist]

6. That's a seriously fucked up state...

...in a seriously fucked up country on a seriously fucked up planet.

Actually, there's nothing wrong with the planet, just some of the species that inhabit it.

[ehrnst]

7. Under those laws Sarah Palin would not pass muster -

And would likely be investigated.

When her water broke with Trig, indicating premature delivery of what she knew would be a special needs child - she did not go to a hospital. She gave a presentation, then got ON A PLANE for several hours, drove past hospitals that had NICUs to get to her OB.

I wonder what she would have to say about this new "pro-life" legislation.