Utah Governor Signs Controversial Law Charging Women and Girls With Murder for Miscarriages

[Quixote1818]

AlterNet / By Rose Aguilar COMMENTS: 32 Utah Governor Signs Controversial Law Charging Women and Girls With Murder for Miscarriages
Critics are worried the law will open up a Pandora's box of unintended legal consequences.
March 9, 2010 |


On Monday afternoon, a controversial Utah bill that charges pregnant women and girls with murder for having miscarriages caused by "intentional or knowing" acts, was signed into law by Gov. Gary Herbert.

Contrary to media reports last week, the "Criminal Homicide and Abortion Amendments" or HB12, which previously also applied to miscarriages caused by "reckless" acts, was never "withdrawn" by its sponsor, Republican Representative Carl Wimmer (who is crafting similar "model legislation" for other states). After the governor expressed concern over "possible unintended consequences," of the legislation as written, Rep. Wimmer swiftly introduced a new version, titled "Criminal Homicide and Abortion Revisions" (HB462), which omitted the word "reckless." Gov. Herbert signed the new bill and vetoed the old one.

Continued at: http://www.alternet.org/story/145956/utah_governor_signs_controversial_law_charging_women_and_girls_with_murder_for_miscarriages

[DebbieCDC]

1. I can't imagine this will survive a Supreme Court challenge

You can be sure that's where it's headed

[TheDebbieDee]

7. I don't know. This is the same Supreme Court that recently

gave corporations better rights than people when it comes to contributing to political campaigns!

[Bitwit1234]

2. Do you know what makes this sad...the fact that it is so stupid

to even write such a bill. And to think that the whole world is laughing at this country. It is a shame that the people elected so many nuts during bush's stolen reign that stuff like this could happen. And after all the misery in the world the piece of dung has caused he blissfully acts like he was a good president.

Every time I think that the current administration did not prosecute these criminals, my blood boils. The one thing that could be done to set us on the right tract is to go to court and tell the world what monsters we had in charge during the last administration.

[Echo In Light]

21. +1000

[City Lights]

22. !

Well said! :applause:

[RainDog]

3. we need to start an underground railroad for females who reside in Utah

so that they can escape from the sickness of the legislators there.

why would any woman want to live in that state? why would any man want to live in that state when his wife could be charged with murder after a miscarriage?

Is it going to have to come down to civil war between the religious nuts and the rest of us in this nation?

[underseasurveyor]

4. It's official

My head exploded:nuke:

"Intentional or knowing" acts, opens the flood gates to too much interpretation.

[Neurotica]

5. Republicans tried this in VA a couple years ago

Basically women would have been required to report even miscarriages to the police.

This bill got a lot of notoriety at the national level and it didn't pass, BUT it's amazing that it even got as far as it did.

Hello Handmaid's Tale...

[Ikonoklast]

6. Glad to see Utah intent on wasting taxpayer's money.

This will get killed by the SC.

[Zoeisright]

8. So much for 'getting the government off your back'.

What a bunch of evil Nazis. Making women's wombs crime scenes. Those politicians need to be strung up by their balls.

[WCGreen]

9. People should try and escape from Utah as fast as they can...

BTW, where the hell is Robert Redford.

He is one of the only positive progressive voices coming out of Utah and yet nothing...

I am disappointed that the so called liberal elite of Hollywood have said nothing of consequence about something that is happening in the state they have come to treasure...

Oh wait, they will make a movie and congratulate themselves for being so progressive and all...

[Blue-Jay]

10. So much for personal freedom from government intrusion

I guess that only applies if you don't have a uterus

[Manifestor_of_Light]

11. This should get a permanent injunction by a TRIAL court judge.

Like the prima facie unconstitutional on its face law in OK that was passed collecting information about women who get abortions.

That was shut down before it went into effect.

I hope they can do the same here. This law is unenforceable and void for vagueness. Women can have a period that's a few days late and never know there was a miscarriage.

Wish these fetus-obsessed idiots would worry about moms getting prenatal care and good nutrition.


There I go thinking again...it gets me in trouble..... :banghead:

[sakabatou]

12. WTF Utah?!

[REP]

13. All Utah women should send their used tampons to the Gov to be checked for zygotes

It's his law now - let him deal with the consequences.

[lonestarnot]

14. Ackety. The "moran" state. Not much better than the "pickininee" state.

[Hekate]

15. Those heartless, soulless sons of bitches--"SOB" because I can't believe human mothers whelped them

Gov. Herbert and Rep. Wimmer, along with everyone else who voted for this abomination, should be frozen out of every female relationship in their lives: mother, wife, daughter, sister.

America's own woman-hating Taliban, headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Hekate

[saracat]

16. And there were actually some on DU who stated they supported this!

I was fabbergasted when a poster told me they saw nothing wrong in this. But lots of these kind of folks claim to be Democrats these days. We have a really big tent.

[Hannah Bell]

17. a really, really, *really* big tent.

[pnorman]

18. "Pope's Pear"

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/3/7/82655/87708

[BlueIris]

19. Deep misogyny and profound ignorance at work here.

What's next--criminalizing male masturbation? Oh, wait, that would apply to men and their bodies, so that will never happen.

[WVRICK13]

20. Can We Build A Fence Around Utah

and kick them out of the country? Then allow any sympathizers to move there without question. What a bunch of anti-American Nazis. LDS is the American Taliban.

[BlueIris]

23. DUzy.

What a bunch of goddamn fucking FREAKS.

[HopeHoops]

24. Next step: Miscarriages are a possible outcome of pregnancy - BAN PREGNANCY!

That would at least help with reducing the population of Utah by the 2020 census.

[Odin2005]

25. There are no words for this idiocy.