Woman Is Convicted of Fetal Homicide (abortion)

AP ^ | March 26 ,2003

[Lorianne]

RIE, Pa., March 26 — A woman who kicked a rival in the abdomen, killing her fetus, was convicted today of third-degree murder under a rarely used fetal homicide law.

The woman, Corinne Wilcott, 21, wept as the jury's verdict was announced. She was also convicted of assault and making terroristic threats in the attack on Sheena Carson, who was carrying the child of Ms. Wilcott's husband.

Ms. Wilcott faces 20 to 40 years in prison on the murder charge. She will be sentenced on May 6.

Prosecutors said Ms. Wilcott attacked Ms. Carson, 19, after a party on June 8, punching and kicking her and yelling that she hoped the fetus died.

Erie County's forensic pathologist ruled that the fetus, in the 15th to 17th week of gestation, had died because of a blow to Ms. Carson's abdomen.

Ms. Wilcott's lawyer, Tim Lucas, said an expert he had hired found that the fetus died from an infection. He said he planned to appeal.

Pennsylvania is one of more than two dozen states that have fetal homicide laws. The law has been rarely used since it went into effect here in 1999.

[mickie]

No morals all around.....what a crowd!

[Mfkmmof4]

Praise the Lord !

[RS]

"She was also convicted of assault and making terroristic threats in the attack....

??

[yooper]

What a sad and disgusting commentary of modern America. At least the prosecutor got it right.....

[meyer]

Now wait a minute, is the fetus a human or isn't it? This case says it is (and I agree), but RvW says otherwise. I'm confused.

[Desdemona]

Oh, yeah, that's classy. No repsect for anything.

[Wormwood]

One more brick in the foundation falls into place.

It will happen.

[mc10]

...but Ms. Carson could have carried the baby for another one third of a year and then hired a professional killer to murder it and neither she nor the murderer(doctor) could have been charged with any crime...

[MHGinTN]

Convicted of third degree murder ... homicide. It has to be a human being to warrant homicide. This case, if it made its way to the SCOTUS, could set aside the Roe decision by default but not direct address to Roe v Wade. [I'll bet Governor Casey has a smile on his face as he observes this interesting turn of events for the pro-death to the unborn crowd.]

[thoughtomator]

The ideal verdict would be to have all three of them shot for the capital crime of stupidity.

[LiteKeeper]

bump

[MattAMiller]

What a sad and disgusting commentary of modern America. At least the prosecutor got it right.....

Where do people get the idea that crime never happened before 1960?

[PistolPaknMama]

making terroristic threats

Yea I caught that too. Homeland Security Soundbites. At least we finally graduated from 'hate crimes?'

[hocndoc]

For Texas residents: our State legislators are considering a Prenatal Protection Act (HB 246 and SB 319, which would designate the pre-born child as an "individual" if he or she is killed against his or her mother's wishes.
The bills are stuck in the House and Senate State Affairs Committees. If you are for the bills, please call Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst, Speaker of the House Tom Craddick, Chairman of the House State Affairs Commmittee Ray Marchant, or Chairman of the Senate State Affairs Committee Bill Ratliff to ask them to move these bills out of committee and on to the floor for passage. Then call your legisltators and ask them to support HB 246 and SB 319. You can call everyone on this list through the Capitol switchboard at (512) 463-4630.
For more information and to look up your representatives, you can visit the FreeMarket Foundation
http://www.freemarket.org/

(The law specifically exempts the mother, any doctor she hires who carries out a legal act intended to kill the child. But, until Federal law changes, this is the best that can be done )

[RonWebb]

"Now wait a minute, is the fetus a human or isn't it? This case says it is (and I agree), but RvW says otherwise. I'm confused.

Here's the explanation from Assistant District Attorney Jack Daneri:

Daneri cautioned jurors not to confuse the charges with the issue of abortion. The case was not about "pro-choice" or "pro-life," but it was about Carson's choice, he said. "Sheena Carson's choice was to have a child in this case. Corinne Wilcott took away that choice," he said.

In other words, the law does not concede that the fetus is a human being, but only that the mother intended it to become one. The crime is against the mother, not against the fetus. The term "fetal homicide" is a bit of a misnomer.

[Bonaparte]

"Pennsylvania is one of more than two dozen states that have fetal homicide laws."

Wilcott can also be federally prosecuted.

Homicide based on killing of unborn child

Testimony on unborn victims of violence act

Heads up, Mr. Ashcroft!

[Bonaparte]

The term "fetal homicide" is a bit of a misnomer.

See my links in post 17.

[Bonaparte]

"...is the fetus a human or isn't it?"

See post 17.