Legal Definition Change Protects Fetus in Texas

[Judi Lynn]

Legal Definition Change Protects Fetus in Texas
By David Wayne, KRIS-TV
August 5, 2003

What's new from the Texas legislature is one of the basics of the law, the definition of an individual.

The old definition says " 'individual' means a human being who has been born and is alive."

The new definition, takes out the phrase "has been born" and adds this phrase to the end - "including an unborn child at every stage of gestation from fertilization until birth."

The district attorney says the change which hits the books officially September 1 will make him look at some cases very differently.

Carlos Valdez tells KRIS 6 News, "If a boyfriend hits a girlfriend who's pregnant right now and causes very little harm to the girlfriend, just knocks her down, but kills the child inside her, we can prosecute him for a class C misdemeanor assault on his girlfriend today. After September first, we can prosecute him for capital murder. That's the difference between a five hundred dollar fine and forty calendar years in prison." (snip/...)

http://www.caller.com/ccct/kris_tv/article/0,1641,CCCT_995_2161673,00.html

[ex_jew]

1. Good old Texas

where life is sacred from conception until birth. Perhaps they're just compensating for making everyone else's life on the planet a living hell.

(My apologies to all Texans beside Bush, Cheney, DeLay, and Perry.)

[Catshrink]

2. Can't wait to read what Molly Ivins says about this one!

n/t

[Eloriel]

3. This has been PASSED and is about to go into effect?

Man, how did I miss that?

Interesting that the DA should use a woman-sympathetic example when my bet is that this will be used against women who don't take proper care of themselves -- e.g., addictions.

Yeah, this will be used against women. Big time.

So, let's see. A fetus will have inheritance rights. Too young I presume for voting rights, such as they are. Should be counted in the census, no doubt. What else? Can't sign contracts -- once again too young.

Sick.

Eloriel

[Atlant]

9. Ma'am, now don't make a fuss...

> Yeah, this will be used against women. Big time.

Ma'am, now don't make a fuss. Just put on this red coat and the
Angels will lead you down the street to the Red Center, where
the Aunties will take good care of you. And don't forget that
the public salvagings and particicutions are on Friday afternoons.

Atlant

[Trek234]

4. Son of a bitch

Just like I said - whenever the legislature meets every two years all they pull is shit.

This combined with the hunting down democrats, and moment of silence/pledge in school pisses me off.

Well hell it could be worse... At least this isn't Alabama.

[Forkboy]

5. What if someone fights this and it's taken to the SCOTUS?

and is that what these people really want?

:scared:

[Malva Zebrina]

6. and the next step is to put a woman who has an abortion on death row

.

[tomp]

7. interesting. i think you've hit on something.

if abortion is constitutional, which i hear it still is, doesn't that mean this law is unconstitutional?

[soup]

8. First Texas, then Florida

not far behind.

The case for appointing a separate guardian for the fetus of the mentally retarded woman who was raped is going to be heard by an appeals court August 21st (think I have the correct date).

ol' devious jeb is on a mission, too.