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A 31-year-old woman in coastal Georgia has been charged with murder after authorities said she took abortion medication before giving birth to a premature infant who later died, according to an arrest report.The report says Alexia Moore took 200 milligrams of misoprostol, a drug used in medication abortions, before she was transported to Southeast Georgia Health System hospital in Camden County in December.According to the report, Moore later gave birth to a girl who was premature and suffering from major health issues. The infant later died.Authorities said Moore wanted to leave the hospital after attempting to end the pregnancy herself. She was arrested last week and charged with murder.Legal questions likely to shape caseChris Carson, a criminal defense attorney in Jacksonville, Florida, said a murder charge generally requires prosecutors to show that an intentional criminal act led to the death of another person.“In order for someone to be charged with murder, in a sense the elements are, something was done intentionally, a criminal act, which then resulted in a human losing their life,” Carson said.Carson said the legal analysis in the case will likely focus on whether the fetus is considered a human under the law and whether Moore’s actions directly caused the death.“For the most part, what the legal analysis will be looking to is whether the fetus is considered to be a human and whether there was an act that was done which then resulted in the death of that human,” he said.Abortion rights advocate criticizes prosecutionFlorida state Rep. Anna Eskamani, a Democrat who previously worked for Planned Parenthood, criticized the case and said people should not face criminal penalties for ending their own pregnancies.She also argued that abortion bans do not stop abortions from happening and said access to medical care is critical.“Banning abortion is not actually ending abortion,” Eskamani said. “And though abortion medication is overwhelmingly safe, it’s a lot safer if you can take it with the guidance of a medical professional.”
A 31-year-old woman in coastal Georgia has been charged with murder after authorities said she took abortion medication before giving birth to a premature infant who later died, according to an arrest report.
The report says Alexia Moore took 200 milligrams of misoprostol, a drug used in medication abortions, before she was transported to Southeast Georgia Health System hospital in Camden County in December.
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According to the report, Moore later gave birth to a girl who was premature and suffering from major health issues. The infant later died.
Authorities said Moore wanted to leave the hospital after attempting to end the pregnancy herself. She was arrested last week and charged with murder.
Legal questions likely to shape case
Chris Carson, a criminal defense attorney in Jacksonville, Florida, said a murder charge generally requires prosecutors to show that an intentional criminal act led to the death of another person.
“In order for someone to be charged with murder, in a sense the elements are, something was done intentionally, a criminal act, which then resulted in a human losing their life,” Carson said.
Carson said the legal analysis in the case will likely focus on whether the fetus is considered a human under the law and whether Moore’s actions directly caused the death.
“For the most part, what the legal analysis will be looking to is whether the fetus is considered to be a human and whether there was an act that was done which then resulted in the death of that human,” he said.
Abortion rights advocate criticizes prosecution
Florida state Rep. Anna Eskamani, a Democrat who previously worked for Planned Parenthood, criticized the case and said people should not face criminal penalties for ending their own pregnancies.
She also argued that abortion bans do not stop abortions from happening and said access to medical care is critical.
“Banning abortion is not actually ending abortion,” Eskamani said. “And though abortion medication is overwhelmingly safe, it’s a lot safer if you can take it with the guidance of a medical professional.”
