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Texas Law Could Mean Death Penalty For Doctors

Lauren

Texas doctors who perform abortions without parental approval or after the third trimester could face capital murder charges because of a new law that takes effect this week, a prosecutors group says.

The Texas District and County Attorneys Association has outlined that scenario in its new book updating the Texas penal code and in public presentations around the state. The group says such charges could occur under the new law because of the 2003 fetal protection law.

Key legislators said Monday that wasn’t their intent.

Not your intent? Sorry, you’re just another cog in the spin wheel.

The fetal protection bill was designed to allow for prosecution of a person who harms or kills an embryo or fetus, supporters say. Exceptions were made for legal drug use, action taken by the mother or a “lawful medical procedure.”

But legislators this year defined two scenarios that would be “prohibited practice” in medicine: performing an abortion on an unmarried girl under age 18 without proper consent, and performing an abortion in the third trimester that isn’t covered by certain exceptions. The law takes effect Thursday.

If this were about the sanctity of human life we would a) not penalize doctors with the death penalty, and b) penalize the women who have abortions as well. If this were not about control of women’s sexuality the woman’s marital status would not be of concern.

In other news, see the Dawn Eden Guide On How To Handle Your Rape. Nope. It’s not about control.

via Bush v. Choice

9 thoughts on Texas Law Could Mean Death Penalty For Doctors

  1. The social conservatives will not stop at laws like this; their goal is to make abortion illegal. They rule from their interpretation of a very old book written centuries ago, the idiots.

  2. If this were about the sanctity of human life we would a) not penalize doctors with the death penalty

    hahah, owned.

    Of course my laughter is accompanied by the requisite (and dare I say, exquisite) weeping.

  3. They most likely exempted married women because the Supreme Court has held that requiring the consent of a husband is unconstitutional. If they could require the approval of the husband, they would. Although, that only supports your position that the law is about control.

    The “key”legislators probably assumed that “action taken by the mother” would include all acts that the mother consented to, whether legal or not. If the law is truly ambiguous, a court should give the benefit to the accused.

  5. “The only relevant choice regarding reproduction is the choice of whether or not to have sex. Beyond that, nobody has the right to make a “choice” to kill another human being.” – Dawn Eden (see comments section)

    So rape survivors apparently get to make no relevant choices regarding their reproduction. But we’re happy to execute the doctors who help them.

  6. Dawn Eden is a crackpot. The problem is that she has lots and lots of company.

    In a way, she is doing those of us who are sane a favor: her hateful anti-choice screeds and gay bashing are a perfect illustration of what life would be like under a theocracy.

    It will never happen. But that doesn’t mean voters shouldn’t be vigilant.

    The concept of forcing a rape victim or incest survivor to carry a child to term is like something out of a VC Andrews novel. I wish no evil on anyone. But I sincerely doubt that if Miss Piety found herself in that position, she’d be throwing a baby shower for herself and inviting all the voices in her head.

  7. I’d say the main reason to mention ‘unmarried’ in that statement is that getting married legally emancipates a minor from their parents. So they could not legally require consent from an emancipated minor’s parents.

  9. Delve further into the comments section, and you’ll find this:

    A woman who is subject to an abortion after a rape is not in control of her body. Abortions are invasive.

    Emergency contraception only adds more pain to a woman’s life and erases the evidence of the rape. Abortion is a rapist’s best friend.

    and this:

    a victim of rape or incest’s tears won’t end with an abortion. The baby’s will.

    Abortion is a rapist’s best friend because it destroys the evidence.

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