Prosecutors have dropped murder charges against a Georgia woman who took abortion pills in an apparent attempt to terminate her pregnancy, the Washington Post is reporting. Dougherty County District Attorney Greg Edwards said the termination was still illegal, but that Georgia law does not apply to the woman herself, 23-year-old Kenlissia Jones of Albany, Georgia.
“Although third parties could be criminally prosecuted for their actions relating to an illegal abortion, as the law currently stands in Georgia, criminal prosecution of a pregnant woman for her own actions against her unborn child does not seem permitted,” Edwards told the Washington Post. “Applicable criminal law and statutes provide explicit immunity from prosecution for a pregnant woman for any unlawful termination of her pregnancy.”
Police arrested Jones Saturday after a hospital social worker called the cops when Jones, reportedly 5½ months pregnant, delivered the fetus in the car on the way to the hospital, according to police reports cited by the AP. Jones was charged with malice murder and possession of a dangerous drug. The hospital social worker said a break-up with her boyfriend had prompted Jones to take the four abortion pills, which she had purchased on the Internet.
Georgia law says that abortions after the first trimester must take place in a licensed hospital, in a licensed ambulatory surgical center, or in a health facility licensed as an abortion facility by the Department of Community Health, according to WALB-TV.
And, of course, the way that Georgia law is set up, finding and getting access to a facility that does abortions that late is nigh on impossible.
As far as I’m concerned, if the people who are accessories to this abortion can be charged with a crime- then start by prosecuting the Governor who signed this law and the legislators who crafted it.
Of course it was a black woman charged under this ridiculous law. What’s next, is she going to dare to go swimming?
In Georgia you can get a gun and take it almost anywhere with you, the airport but not past the security checkpoint or into church unless a sign is posted saying guns aren’t allowed, but access to a procedure used exclusively for women is almost out of reach. Georgians are deeply conflicted in their pro life stance
That’s unfortunately very true. I’ve also noticed a lot of these “pro-life” people are also very “pro-death penalty”, and as you said, “pro-gun”. They’re also anti-healthcare and anti-social support. Basically, they lie about why they oppose abortion- it’s all about keeping women pregnant and has nothing to do with the fetuses or children.
Yeah, they went after the black woman who took a legal pill, but not the Big Pharma corporation that made the pill. Seems they would be the “…third parties could be criminally prosecuted for their actions relating to an illegal abortion, as the law currently stands in Georgia,”
But corporations have deep pockets for legal representation and black women in America usually don’t have those resources. Pluse, GA & blah…