The Alabama abortion trial- fiction or prediction?
It was a hot Alabama August, just weeks after strict abortion laws were passed. Jury selection had just started, and the DA asked perspective jurors the same questions. Do you favor or agree with abortion laws recently passed? Do you view abortion as a sin? Have you or your spouse ever have an abortion? All the selected members of the jury answered yes, yes, and no. The defending attorney in this small town was planning on running for DA next year. His questions were simple. Can you fairly judge the guilt or innocence based on the evidence? Have you ever served on a Jury and convicted someone of the white race? All the selected jury members answered Yes and Yes.
The individual on trial was charged with endangering the life of a minor and manslaughter. The mother of 3 children, working at minimum wage jobs was unmarried, 35 years old and visibly upset. Her court appointed attorney assured her that justice would prevail.
The DA’s opening statement did not look good for the defendant. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, the state of Alabama will prove the defendant placed the life of an unborn child at grave risk and took steps to end her pregnancy. Against doctor's advice, she continued working late into her pregnancy. A police search of her computer showed that she looked up abortion and pregnancy risk factors. In the third trimester her pregnancy ended at home. The woman called 911, explaining that she was bleeding and in tremendous pain. On arrival at the hospital the doctors pronounced the baby had died and removed the fetus. The doctors also filed a suspicious end of pregnancy report with the police, who immediately took her computer and cell phone, a requirement for all potential abortion cases. This led to the discovery of computer searches related to pregnancy and to her arrest while in the hospital.
After the trial, the jury foreman provided some insights into how the jury quickly reached a verdict. His recollection: “The first step in our process was to pray for God’s guidance. Then we each discussed our point of view. Many of the jury members noted that the doctors would not have filed a report of a potential violation of the law, nor would the DA have filed unless the evidence was strong. All of the jury agreed that the internet search followed by the death of the unborn child was the strongest evidence. A few members stated they had wished the prosecution had brought in doctors to testify but they were sure of their verdict in any case. Especially when the women gave her testimony and claimed she had a miscarriage but offered no proof that she had a miscarriage. On cross examination she admitted that the father of the child had been from a rape, by a co-worker who had left the state. That pretty much proved her motivation and guilt.”
The woman was sentenced to 5 years in prison and lost custody of her three children. They were placed in foster care. It was a shame that the oldest committed suicide and that the two young children became so depressed their grades went from passing to failing in their schoolwork. Folks in town knew the sins of the mother were on her children. Some people spoke about how important parents are in the development of a child and how the loss of a parent can be so hard.
The jury, all men, meet every year to pray and remember their role in the fight against abortion. They pray for the children of the woman convicted and remind each other of their role in the fight for the unborn.
The author wonders how Alabama ranks in the US and in the world for foster care and health care support for low-income mothers. What is the death rate during birth for both mothers and babies in Alabama compared to other states and other countries? Perhaps an internet search would shed some light.
