MONTGOMERY (AP) – When a woman nearly nine months pregnant is killed in Alabama, prosecutors can bring only one murder charge because Alabama is one of 18 states without a law recognizing two victims in such cases.
A survey of Alabama legislators by The Associated Press in December showed widespread support for changing the law, but doing it has proven difficult because the issue has become entangled with abortion.
kAm~? y2?] `h[ E96 w@FD6 A2DD65 2 3:== – H:E9@FE 2 5:DD6?E:?8 G@E6 – E92E 2==@HD >FC56C 2?5 2DD2F=E 492C86D E@ 36 3C@F89E 282:?DE D@>6@?6 H9@ <:==D @C :?;FC:6D 2? “F?3@C? 49:=5]” %96 3:==[ H9:49 4@G6CD 2 AC68?2?4J 7C@> 4@?46AE:@? E@ 56=:G6CJ[ H2D 6?5@CD65 3J E96 r9C:DE:2? r@2=:E:@?[ E96 2EE@C?6J 86?6C2= 2?5 E96 8@G6C?@C]k^Am
kAm“{:76 :D AC64:@FD[ C682C5=6DD @7 :ED DE286 @7 56G6=@A>6?E[ 2?5 56D6CG6D 6BF2= AC@E64E:@? F?56C E96 =2HD @7 E9:D DE2E6] x 42??@E F?56CDE2?5 H9J 2?J@?6 H@F=5 DE2?5 :? E96 H2J @7 E9:D =68:D=2E:@?[” v@G] q@3 #:=6J D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96 p=232>2 s:DEC:4E pEE@C?6JD pDD@4:2E:@? :D C64@>>6?5:?8 2 5:776C6?E 3:==[ 9@H6G6C] xE H@F=5 2AA=J E@ “2 G:23=6 76EFD 8C62E6C E92? `h H66<D 86DE2E:@? 7@C H9:49 E96C6 :D 2 C62D@?23=6 =:<6=:9@@5 @7 DFDE2:?65 DFCG:G2=]”k^Am
kAm|:<6 ~’s6==[ AC6D:56?E @7 E96 s:DEC:4E pEE@C?6JD pDD@4:2E:@?[ D2:5 E96 3:== FD6D DE2?52C5D C64@8?:K65 3J E96 &]$] $FAC6>6 r@FCE 2?5 :?4=F565 :? p=232>2’D =2H @? 23@CE:@? 2?5 H@C<6C 4@>A6?D2E:@?]k^Am
kAm%96 A@=:E:42= 32EE=6 =:?6D 5C2H? @G6C E96 EH@ 3:==D 2C6 2D 4=62C 2D E96 E6C>D E96J FD6] %96 w@FD6\A2DD65 3:== D2JD “F?3@C? 49:=5]” %96 5:DEC:4E 2EE@C?6JD’ 3:== D2JD “76EFD]”k^Am
kAm~’s6==[ E96 5:DEC:4E 2EE@C?6J 7@C s6z2=3 2?5 r96C@<66 4@F?E:6D[ D2:5 9:D 8C@FA :D ECJ:?8 E@ 86E 2 =2H E92E H@?’E 36 DF3;64E E@ =682= 492==6?86D] ~’s6== D2:5 9:D 3:== H@F=5 4@G6C E96 <:==:?8D 4@>>@?=J 4:E65 3J AC@A@?6?ED[ DF49 2D E96 D9@@E:?8 562E9 :? p=36CEG:==6 @7 ab\J62C\@=5 qC2?5J !2C<6C] $96 H2D 6:89E >@?E9D AC68?2?E H96? D96 H2D <:==65 :? yF=J]k^Am
kAm“|J 3:== :D 56D:8?65 E@ 36 2 4C:>:?2= =2H 3:==] x’> ?@E ECJ:?8 E@ 8C2?5DE2?5[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm~’s6== D2:5 2 86DE2E:@?2= 286 :D ?66565 3642FD6 2 AC@D64FE@C ECJ:?8 E@ AC@G6 2 >FC56C 492C86 H@F=5 92G6 E@ D9@H E96 2DD2:=2?E <?6H E96 H@>2? H2D AC68?2?E 2?5 :?E6?565 E@ 92C> E96 76EFD] “|2?J E:>6D AC:@C E@ `h H66<D J@F 42?’E E6==[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm%9:CEJ\EH@ DE2E6D 92G6 A2DD65 =2HD 2==@H:?8 7@C 5@F3=6 >FC56C 492C86D H96? 2 AC68?2?E H@>2? :D <:==65] %H6?EJ DE2CE 2E 4@?46AE:@?[ 2?5 E96 @E96CD DE2CE =2E6C :? E96 AC68?2?4J] r2=:7@C?:2’D =2H[ H9:49 H2D FD65 E@ AC@D64FE6 $4@EE !6E6CD@? :? E96 H:56=J C6A@CE65 <:==:?8 @7 9:D AC68?2?E H:76[ 2AA=:6D E@ AC68?2?4:6D 27E6C 6:89E H66<D]k^Am
kAm%96 w@FD6\A2DD65 “F?3@C? 49:=5” 3:==[ DA@?D@C65 3J #6A] $A6?46C r@==:6C[ #\xCG:?8E@?[ :D A6?5:?8 :? E96 $6?2E6 yF5:4:2CJ r@>>:EE66[ 2D :D E96 5:DEC:4E 2EE@C?6JD’ 3:==[ DA@?D@C65 3J $6?] {@H6== q2CC@?[ s\uJ776]k^Am
kAm%96 4@>>:EE66 492:C>2?[ $6?] #@586C $>:E96C>2?[ s\q:C>:?892>[ D2:5 96 28C66D H:E9 E96 8@2=D @7 E96 3:==D[ 3FE 367@C6 9:D 4@>>:EE66 4@?D:56CD 6:E96C[ 96 H2?ED E@ 86E 2EE@C?6JD E@ DEF5J E96> E@ >2<6 DFC6 E96J H:== ?@E :>A24E p=232>2’D =2HD @? 23@CE:@?] $>:E96C>2?[ H9@ DFAA@CED 2 H@>2?’D C:89E E@ 49@@D6[ D2:5 96 H2?ED E@ >2<6 DFC6 “E9:D :D ?@E 2 324< 5@@C :?E@ E96 :DDF6 @7 23@CE:@?]”k^Am
kAmq@E9 3:==D 4@?E2:? =2?8F286 D2J:?8 E96J H@?’E 27764E 23@CE:@?]k^Am
kAm“%9:D :D ?@E 23@FE 23@CE:@?[ 3FE E96 @AA@?6?ED 2C6 3C:?8:?8 E96 23@CE:@? :DDF6 :?E@ :E[” r@==:6C D2:5]k^Am
kAmr@==:6C’D 3:== :D ?@E ?6H] xE A2DD65 E96 w@FD6 =2DE J62C 2?5 5:65 :? 2 $6?2E6 4@>>:EE66 H:E9@FE 6G6C 4@>:?8 FA 7@C 5632E6] w6 762CD :E’D @? E96 D2>6 A2E9 E9:D J62C]k^Am
kAm~’s6==[ H9@ =236=D 9:>D6=7 2 4@?D6CG2E:G6[ AC@\=:76 r9C:DE:2?[ D2:5 2?J 3:== 4@G6C:?8 4@?46AE:@? H:== 92G6 2 5:77:4F=E E:>6 364@>:?8 =2H 3642FD6 @7 4@?46C?D :E H:== 2EE24< 23@CE:@? =2HD] %96 D276DE 2?5 DH:7E6DE H2J E@ 86E 2 =2H E9:D D6DD:@? :D E@ :?4=F56 2 C64@8?:K65 G:23:=:EJ DE2?52C5[ 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmq2CC@? 28C66D] “x ECFDE E96 ;F58>6?E @7 E96 5:DEC:4E 2EE@C?6JD[ C2E96C E92? A6@A=6 CF??:?8 2C@F?5 36:?8 A@=:E:42=[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm#:=6J[ @? E96 @E96C 92?5[ E2=<D AC@F5=J 23@FE D66:?8 A:4EFC6D 7C@> 2 D@?@8C2> 9:D J@F?86DE 52F89E6C 925 C646?E=J 5FC:?8 E96 `cE9 H66< @7 96C AC68?2?4J[ 2?5 96 D2JD 96 42?’E :>286 5C2H:?8 2 =:?6 :? E96 >:55=6 @7 2 AC68?2?4J]k^Am
kAm“!2DD286 @7 E96 w@FD6 G6CD:@? @7 E9:D =68:D=2E:@? :D G:E2= E@ 6?DFC:?8 E92E 2== =:76 :? p=232>2[ :?4=F5:?8 F?3@C? =:76[ :D AC@E64E65 7C@> G:@=6?E 4C:>6[” 96 D2:5]k^Am