Current Events > Pregnant Ohio women could face life in prison or death penalty under new bill.

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https://thinkprogress.org/pro-life-bill-allows-possibility-of-death-penalty-for-abortion-providers-and-pregnant-people-2394e21ed4f9/

The measure also redefines abortion to mean the purposeful termination of a pregnancy by any person, including the pregnant person, any method, including, but not limited to, chemical methods, medical methods, and surgical methods.

That definition does not include the unintentional termination of a pregnancy, but its unclear how a pregnant person would prove intention should they and their physicians actions come under scrutiny. There are no exceptions for rape, incest, or danger to the life of the pregnant person.

The bill also states that unlawful termination of anothers pregnancy will not be applied to a medical practitioner or a pregnant woman when it is based on a surgical, chemical, or medical procedure to treat a disease and wherein the medical practitioner or pregnant woman does not knowingly, purposely, or recklessly induce or perform an abortion if the performance of such a procedure indirectly or unintentionally results in the termination of a human pregnancy, in which the practitioner has made every effort to protect the lives of both persons.

Its unclear what it would mean for the practitioner to make every effort to protect the lives of both persons and what that could mean for the health of the pregnant person.
Jaime Miracle with NARAL Pro Choice Ohio told WOSU that if the bill became law it could mean people who have miscarriages would be criminalized if they were in any way deemed suspicious.
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Across the USA, the heavy-handed policing of pregnant womens behavior is shattering patient trust in health services with devastating consequences. These laws put pregnant women in a double bind, forcing them to choose between risking their health and risking punishment, Carrie Eisert, Amnesty International policy adviser and author of the report, said in a statement following the reports release.
A 2017 article published by The Hastings Report, a peer-reviewed journal on the subject, said more than one-third of states consider pregnant peoples illegal drug use as a form of child abuse and that laws previously intended to protect women from domestic violence during pregnancy have been turned into vehicles for prosecuting pregnant women.

Under the Ohio bill, a pregnant person or abortion provider could be subject to criminal charges, including the charge of murder. They could face life in prison or the death penalty. The bill includes a provision that says the pregnant person can avoid these consequences in criminal or civil court if they are willing to be part of a hearing, provide information to investigators, or make a report. But this does not apply to health care providers performing abortions.

According to WOSU, the bill is not expected to pass this year, but it is a sign of how far Republican Ohio lawmakers are willing to go in their support of anti-abortion policies. In 2016, Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) signed a 20-week abortion ban into law, but vetoed the heartbeat bill. Kasich has vowed to do the same again should this bill pass, but state lawmakers may have enough votes to overturn his veto.

Last week, the GOP-controlled House passed a bill called the heartbeat abortion ban that would ban abortions as early as six weeks after a fetal heartbeat is usually detected. It now heads to the Senate for consideration. In the long haul, anti-abortion lawmakers and advocates hope the heartbeat bill will go through a legal challenge and make it to the U.S. Supreme Court, where access to abortion under Roe v. Wade could be challenged.

Slowly but surely taking away all the bodily autonomy for women.
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wackyteen posted...

That definition does not include the unintentional termination of a pregnancy, but its unclear how a pregnant person would prove intention should they and their physicians actions come under scrutiny.

Foetunately, innocent until proven guilty is one of the foundations of our justice system.
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Ah, the ultimate irony of being so pro-life that you kill someone over it.
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DevsBro posted...

wackyteen posted...

That definition does not include the unintentional termination of a pregnancy, but its unclear how a pregnant person would prove intention should they and their physicians actions come under scrutiny.

Foetunately, innocent until proven guilty is one of the foundations of our justice system.

Only when it's convenient for the right.
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This heartbeat bill is such a fucked up mess hat only exists as an attempt to overturn Roe v Wade, so fucked up
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I find it interesting that the republican governor, John Kasich, already vetoed this bill once and said he will do it again.