Mother accused of murder of unborn child pleads not guilty

[nolabels]

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/nation/20040315-1529-wst-mothercharged.html
Mother accused of murder of unborn child pleads not guilty


By Alexandria Sage
ASSOCIATED PRESS

3:29 p.m. March 15, 2004

SALT LAKE CITY – Looking bedraggled in a yellow jumpsuit, a mother accused of killing her fetus by ignoring medical advice to undergo a Caesarean section pleaded not guilty Monday, while critics said allegations of Melissa Ann Rowland's drug use and vanity did not justify a murder charge.

The 28-year-old Rowland appeared in court via video teleconference from jail. An attorney entered the plea on her behalf to one count of criminal homicide and asked that Rowland be assigned a court-appointed attorney.

Rowland, wearing glasses with her hair in a messy ponytail, spoke only once, saying "no" when the judge asked if she could provide her own attorney.

Michael Sikora from Salt Lake Legal Defenders, Rowland's attorney on a separate felony charge of child endangerment, may take the murder case, said his assistant, Kellie, who declined to give her last name. She said the office is not commenting to reporters about the case
(snip)
Don't know if this is dupe, but sure gets under my skin a little

[woodstockjimi]

1. mine too

[DuctapeFatwa]

2. It really sounds like somebody paid upfront for 2 babies, and is pissed

Brian Farley and Anna Marxson of Sacramento, Calif., accepted collect telephone calls from the incarcerated Rowland between Feb. 26 and March 2 under the assumption that Rowland had yet to give birth, Farley said Monday. Rowland had actually delivered her twins more than a month before.

Farley said he became suspicious when Rowland told them she would give them the baby in exchange for $5,000 for bail. Farley said he spoke with the district attorney on Monday, who said the lead prosecutor in the case would be interested in talking with him.

from link above

[nolabels]

4. My first impression of the story was they were going to try and degrade..

Mothers and motherhood, turn out I was correct to some extent. Just another hand of big brother extending itself into the neediest part of the society. I think the woman was wrong, but that is no case for it to be charging her with murder.

It seems like this or something similar will be the kind of place were they will be trying to make case law out of. This kind of one of those most egregious episodes. To be sure the prosecutor will assert and assume that the state itself could never be somewhat culpable for the conditions that would lead to such things.

My head spins when I think of all the things the wingers do to make things turn out that way.

[DuctapeFatwa]

5. Yes, I think the plan is to use it as an opportunity to do that, tragic if

you consider the REAL issues this story offers an opportunity to address - notice how few people are asking how in the hell an indigent pregnant woman with a history of drug problems and mental illness was not put under the care of mental health professionals the minute she showed up at the first clinic.

[nolabels]

9. As a man I would have a difficult time understanding the multitude ......

of problems and difficulties with pregnancy. It's hard enough for me just trying to be a father. I couldn't even fathom what a mother has to go through from conception. And makes no sense to me why a majority of men should be making any kind of laws that govern any part of womens reproductive lives. If I needed any say on any of it I would have needed to be born at the with other gender.

As far as the part for mental illness goes, it is not a all or nothing call as far as I have ever seen. There are degrees to which others can consider others cogent and cognizant of their surroundings or the possible consequences of actions for such so called individuals. Often the people they tag with mental illness are more a harm to themselves than they are to anyone else. This would be one of them rare occasions, if we accept the diagnoses of her condition,someone else could be getting hurt in the process(assumming the position of the state that the fetus being an idividual).

My line in sand is drawn for the individual. When they make ALL and any reproductive health services available to ALL who need them regardless of any circumstances, the state will be at fault as far as I am concerned.

[liberalhistorian]

3. I've made my feelings

and anger about this freeper wingnut fascist bullshit perfectly clear on other threads, but I just learned today that she was arrested and thrown in jail THE DAY AFTER her c-section! That's right, the fucking DAY AFTER the c-section!

Now, I know you ladies who've had a c-section, as I have, will realize just what a horrendous injustice that is. You can barely sit up the day after a c-section, you're bleeding like crazy, it takes a half-hour just to get up and walk ten steps to the bathroom and back, etc., etc. I was absolutely beyond livid when I heard that! And, of course, the fucking MEN in charge wouldn't have any fucking clue at all about that, would they? And does anyone really, honestly believe that if she weren't low-income, if she were middle or upper-middle or upper class that she still would have been charged?

I've said this on other threads, but I'll say it again: Behold the coming of the Pregnancy Brigade, pregnancy bodyguards who'll be assigned 24/7 to each pregnant woman to watch everything she eats, drinks, does, says, looks at wrong, etc., etc. Mark my words, it's coming, if we allow the wingnuts to win this culture war!

[Nikia]

6. I agree

This situation happens enough that I am suprised that such a big deal is being made about this. Doctors advise that a woman should have a c-section all the time. She is usually told that it is a choice but that her baby has a better chance if it is taken that way early. Sometimes, the woman decides not to have a c-section because she is afraid of that major surgery. Sometimes, she feels that her baby would have a lessened chance of survival if they advise taking it a couple months early. Sometimes, the baby dies either way. Sometimes the mother dies. We usually don't hear about these cases either way, just like we usually don't hear about cases where the mother made bad choices during pregnancy such as substance use, diet, medical care, or exercise. Pregnancy and birth, although naturual, are risky. A number of babies are stillborn or are miscarried. Even if mothers did everything right, these things would still happen.
Now we are charging women with murder for not following their doctor's advice during pregnancy if their baby dies. Doctors are not God. They don't know everything about an indivdual. From personal experience, I know that doctors aren't always right. If I cannot trust doctors to always make accurate diagnosises, properly warn me about potentially deadly side effects of medication, or notice that my health is rapidly failing (all which have happened to me personally); why would I be able to trust them unilaterally to make life and death pronouncements about my baby and I if I were pregnant?
This case shows that this country is moving in a dangerous direction.

[Chelzek]

7. This is probably

why she appeared in court via video.

There have actually been cases where the parent was drug tested with out her consent and arrested/cuffed WHILE she was giving birth.

[iamjoy]

8. Almost Too Awful For Words

Where does it say they took her to jail the day after the surgery? I mean, that is so far from the medical standard of care.

The day after the surgery she should still be NPO (no eating or drinking), meaning she would be on IV antibiotics. There is still a high risk of infection or hemorage and knowing what we do of this woman, suicide.

:grr:

Unless maybe the jail had a hospital?

Of course, given how messed up she seems to be, I would say while they're forcing her to have medical procedures she doesn't want, why didn't they just do a hysterectomy? I know, I know, what about her rights, but they don't seem interested in that anyway. But of course, ConSWERVatives are more interested in punishing people after the fact than preventing problems in the first place.

:mad:

[liberalhistorian]

10. Come on now, do you think they really

give a damn about whether or not she received the proper "standard of medical care?" They obviously don't give a shit about her, just the baby, and they really don't even care about that. The wingnuts just want their case law, and they want to send a message to others.