Woman sentenced 20 years when premature baby dies

[Davethulhu]

[uebermann]

[John Galt]

[Medius]

[eynon81]

(reads thread)

Sorry Uber, Dylan is right.

the state had thier forensic people saying the baby was alive outside the womb, even if it's "junk science" law enforcement experts are still saying it so there's evidence enough to move forward with the charges. whether or not the baby was alive is a question of fact. facts are determined by juries. if it is junk science it's up to her defense to discredit it.

[Professor]

[Professor]

[Professor]

How can an ME rule it homicide if he can't even say how the baby died? He can't say if it was asphyxiation, blood loss, extreme heat or extreme cold.

Look at this another way. An adult is found dead. The ME comes to the stand and says, "He was killed."

Defense asks, "Was he shot?"

ME - "I don't know."

Defense - "Was he stabbed?"

ME - "I don't know."

Defense - "Was he strangled?"

ME - "I don't know."

If you were a juror, how could you convict of murder, if the ME can't even say how the person was killed?

[Dylan]

She said she took the drugs in text messages.


In a traditional homicide case I might agree with you. But here its pretty clear what the proximate cause of her death was. Taking the drugs that she said she ordered, that an invoice said she ordered and that she said she took, and which (as she said she intended) terminated the pregnancy.

[eynon81]

nobody can say what they'd do on the jury cause we weren't on the jury to hear and weight all the evidence, now were we?