Already spent five years in prison. 😨

“As has been the case for decades, nearly all the cases alleged that the pregnant person used a substance during pregnancy,” the report adds. “In 268 cases, substance use was the only allegation made against the pregnant person.

We don't know what these substances were or how far along in pregnancy these people were. Combined with strict anti-abortion laws, this is such a trap. I got an abortion a few years ago. In part it was because I'm way too poor to afford a child, but it was also in part because I was taking prescribed medications that would've been counter-indicated for a pregnancy. The medication I was taking would've been particularly harmful in the first trimester, and had I been trying to get pregnant, I would've avoided it. However, things can happen even with contraception.

Thankfully I'm not in a backwards state, but if I had been, would I have been stuck in this trap? Unable to abort, but also taking "substances" that would've been harmful to a fetus, there's no way around it except to say that anyone of child-bearing ability isn't allowed to take such medications or use "substances" at all. For all we know someone could've been casually drinking in the first trimester, without even knowing they were pregnant yet, and now they're jailed because they dared to live a normal, adult life. The only reason I found out about mine was because I coincidentally got an illness within the first few weeks and the doctor offered a pregnancy test. It was so early, I hadn't even missed a period yet. With dysregulated cycles (sometimes due to conditions outside of a person's control), one could go quite a while without being aware of a pregnancy, carrying on life as normal.

It's so clear the law-makers think of us as merely vessels for child-bearing, with no other life or purpose. We must be pure and perfect, and ready to take on a pregnancy whenever it may happen, regardless of our lifestyles. I feel for this woman and all the others stuck in this situation, keenly aware that if I were to simply move a few hundred miles away, I could be in their shoes.

I have professional (UK) experience, but not sighted on the evidence or debates in this case or on US law. Firstly: Medical examination appears clear as to the question, did the meth cause death. Cannot say it did is a scientific / medical point. This means possibly, but there is sufficient doubt that it did here. Secondly: placental infection was clearly present. Nothing at all is reported as to how the use of meth could lead to that infection.
Placental infection could be viral or bacterial. No indication which. Immune weaknesses can lead to higher risk of infections. Meth could create some immune weakness, but you only see that with longer term / higher dose use. Again, not a specific cause that we could say is the cause.

Unless there is evidence that we don't see, there is absolutely no way to acheive a balance of probabilities level of evidence, let alone the required level of "beyond all reasonable doubt".

It seems that beleifs and words led to this womans conviction rather than facts.

Wait so how does a coroner not have medical training? It's just some guy cutting dead people open?

Anti-abortionists need a Nuremberg-style trial...

I look forward to seeing all the people who think that they should be able to speed excessively in vehicles on public roads with no issue coming to the defense of prosecuting this woman for doing an illegal act which was not confirmed to have any effect on the stillbirth.

Alabamastan

I'm reading American Nations right now, and part of me does wonder about forming some additional country or a situation like Puerto Rico where they have no real representation. Carve off the very shittiest area of the country, with few or no resources we'd want, let them form their own thing, and call it Jesustan.

Let all the mouthbreathing conspiracy theorists and most especially all the snake-handling dipshits move there. Give time and assistance for any reasonable people in the new Jesusland territory to move to real America.

For those that remain that are still conservatives/Republicans: let them know we are not going to have any of their more extremist nonsense here, reiterate that this is a secular nation, and if they don't like real freedom, including the freedom FROM religion, they have the option to move to Jesustan.

I imagine that Jesustan would not end up much different than The Christian States of America as depicted in Rapture of the Nerds...

Should never have gotten here to begin with, but this is great news!

Abortion bans are class warfare