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People demonstrated in front of the US Supreme Court on Wednesday, December 1, 2021, in Washington.
UPDATE: 13:25
The Texas District Attorney said Sunday that he would ask a judge to drop a charge of murder against a woman for self-inflicted abortion.
Liesel Herrera was arrested Thursday in Rio Grande City, a community of about 14,000 people on the Mexican border, after the Star County Grand Jury charged her on March 30 with murder for allegedly causing “the death of an individual … by self-induced abortion.” . “
Goca District Prosecutor Alan Ramirez said on Sunday that his office would be relocated to dismiss the charge Monday.
“In reviewing this case, it is clear that Ms. Herrera cannot and should not be prosecuted for the charges against her,” Ramirez said in a statement.
Ramirez went on to say: “I hope that with the termination of this case, it becomes clear that Ms. Herrera has not committed a crime under the laws of the state of Texas.”
Authorities have not released details of what Herrera did, and Ramirez did not respond immediately to an email Sunday seeking more information about the case. His statement Sunday and a previous statement from a Star County Sheriff’s Office made it unclear whether Herrera was accused of having an abortion or aiding in an abortion caused by someone else.
In a tweet on Sunday, Planned Parenthood called the decision “Such Necessary News.”
“While the charges against Liesel have been dropped, we know that the fight against criminalizing pregnancy outcomes has only just begun,” said Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood.
A leading anti-abortion group in Texas said it understood the decision, saying state law provided only civil remedies, not criminal ones.
“The Texas Heart Rate Act and other life protection policies in the state clearly prohibit criminal charges against pregnant women. “Texas’ right to life opposes prosecutors to go beyond the reasonable and carefully crafted Texas policy,” said Texas right to life spokeswoman Kimberlin Schwartz.
Herrera was released from the Star County Jail on Saturday after issuing a $ 500,000 bail.
The indictment alleges that Herrera on January 7 “then intentionally and knowingly caused the death of an individual … through self-induced abortion.”
Confirming the indictment on Saturday, Sheriff’s Major Carlos Delgado said no further information would be released until Monday, as the case is still under investigation.
Texas law will acquit Herrera of murder for abortion of her own pregnancy, said University of Texas law professor Stephen Vladek.
“(Murder) does not apply to the killing of an unborn child if the accused’s conduct is ‘conduct committed by the mother of the unborn child,'” Vladek said.
A 2021 state law banning abortions in Texas for women who are six weeks pregnant has drastically reduced the number of abortions in the state. The law leaves the application to private citizens, who can sue doctors or anyone who helps a woman have an abortion.
The woman who had an abortion is exempt from the law.
Another Texas law prohibits doctors and clinics from prescribing abortion drugs after the seventh week of pregnancy, and prohibits the delivery of pills by mail.
Medical abortions are not considered self-induced under the regulations of the Federal Food and Drug Administration, Vladek said.
“You can only receive medication under medical supervision,” according to Vladek. “I realize this sounds strange because you take the pill yourself, but it’s at least under the theoretical care of the provider.”
ORIGINAL: 12:40
The Texas District Attorney said Sunday that he would ask a judge to drop the murder charge against a woman who is alleged to have had an abortion.
Liesel Herrera was arrested Thursday in Rio Grande City, a community of about 14,000 people on the Mexican border, after the Star County Grand Jury charged her on March 30 with murder for causing the death of a fetus or embryo through self-induced abortion.
Goca District Prosecutor Alan Ramirez said on Sunday that his office would be relocated to dismiss the charge Monday.
“In reviewing this case, it is clear that Ms. Herrera cannot and should not be prosecuted for the charges against her,” Ramirez said in a statement.
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