Prosecutors can turn one of the darkest days in a parent’s life into a prison term. We’ve found more than 50 cases of women who faced criminal charges because they tested positive for drug use after a miscarriage or stillbirth. Experts expect more similar prosecutions now that Roe has been overturned.
Our reporter Cary Aspinwall looked at cases going back to 1999. These days, certain counties are “seeking even longer and longer sentences on these women,” Aspinwall says.
Many medical experts say the causes of miscarriage and stillbirth are complex and often unclear, and there isn’t scientific proof that using meth or other drugs causes pregnancy loss.
📱: Mary Conlon / The Marshall Project
🎥: The Marshall Project & VICE News
TRANSCRIPT:
CARY ASPINWALL: Cherie is one of dozens of women who’ve been prosecuted for testing positive for drugs after a miscarriage or stillbirth. I made a records request in Oklahoma for medical examiner data to get all of the data about the different stillbirths that were autopsied since 2015. We realized it wasn’t just happening in Oklahoma. It was happening in Alabama, South Carolina, but also other states. When we started looking, we started categorizing the cases this way and, going back to 1999, we found more than 50 cases altogether. And from what we’re looking at, depending on the county, they’re seeking even longer and longer sentences on these women.
Негізгі бет How prosecutors charge women after miscarriages and stillbirths
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