Texas abortion controversy far from over: expert
STORY: The case has reignited controversy over Texas's strict abortion law that was largely upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in December.
“Lizelle Herrera was indicted for a self-induced abortion under Texas's homicide statute. The real problem is the Texas homicide statute expressly carves out deaths of an unborn child and criminalizing the conduct of the mother of the unborn child. So the homicide statute just doesn't apply based on the facts that we know,” said Elizabeth Sepper, a law professor at the University of Texas at Austin.
Around 20 protesters gathered outside the jail on Saturday (April 9) in a show of support for the woman, organized by a local abortion resistance group.
“I think the signal to prosecutors’ offices, however, is that the eyes of the nation and maybe the world are watching Texas for a signal not only about what's going on in Texas, but what's about to come. And the prosecutor received a pretty clear signal that the office couldn't overreach on the homicide statute. It's also entirely possible that we will see civil rights lawsuits Miss Herrera’s behalf against the prosecutor's office, and that too could have a bit of incentive effect of avoiding these kinds of prosecutions,“ Sepper said.
Texas has some of the most restrictive anti-abortion laws in the US after a new state ban came in last year barring terminations beyond six weeks, with no exceptions for pregnancies resulting in rape or incest.
