Gov. Herbert of Utah currently has Bill 12 on his desk that if signed would make intentional miscarriages punishable by law. This legislation came about when a 17 year old girl who was 7 months pregnant paid a man $150 to beat her up in hopes that it would result in her having a miscarriage and the baby dying. This was an irresponsible and desperate attempt that has now resulted in swift legislation that if enacted could result in the investigation of many accidental miscarriages aswell. This worries many people as Marina Lowe said, “so many things can happen, and it’s all in the eye of the beholder — that’s what’s very dangerous about this legislation.” Furthermore, what’s unique about this Bill is that it punishes the woman, where previous precedent punished the individual who assisted the woman. Do you think this type of legislation is justified considering it’s based off of the actions of a desperate 17 year old girl? What if a desperate woman tries to induce a miscarriage and is seriously injured and needs medical attention, would this bill make cause her to refrain from going to the doctor out of fear of being prosecuted? Or what about others who have an actual accident which results in them having a miscarriage, does it now justify criminal investigation? What other adverse effects would this bill cause? As one Ms. Paltrow commented regarding this statute, ”Anybody that desperate is not going to be deterred by this statute.” Thus, what would be the benefits of creating such legislation, if any?
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/01/us/01abortion.html