MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich., Jan. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Macomb County Prosecutor Eric Smith authorized criminal charges today against a sixteen-year-old Richmond male accused of terminating his girlfriend's pregnancy with a souvenir baseball bat.
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The charge, Intentional conduct against a pregnant individual resulting in miscarriage or stillbirth, is a felony punishable by up to fifteen years imprisonment.

According to Michigan State Police detectives, the youths intentionally caused the death of the fetus by striking the mother's abdomen with the twenty-two inch bat over the course of two weeks. The parents of the youths were apparently unaware of the pregnancy and the decision to abort it.

The actions of the youths first came to light when the female spoke about the series of incidents after the fact at a high school leadership conference in the upper peninsula. The conference's adult facilitator, hearing of the incidents leading to the miscarriage, contacted the State Police.

The report of the county's medical examiner indicates that the fetus was premature and not viable at the time of the miscarriage. The report lists the cause of death as blunt impact of the maternal abdomen.

Prosecutor Smith is relying on law created by the Michigan Legislature in 1999. According to that law, only the person making the intentional conduct against the pregnant individual is criminally liable. The pregnant individual herself, however complicit in the termination, is not.

The male, because of his age and lack of prior contacts with the criminal justice system, will be adjudicated in the juvenile court. If convicted, he would be subject to the jurisdiction of that court until he is twenty-one years old.

The mother, also sixteen years old, will not be charged with a crime.

Prosecutor Smith said the defendant must plead guilty as charged or face trial.

"This crime is shocking and reprehensible," he said. "I will not entertain any plea bargaining on it."


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What is F-D up about this is the mother didn't get prosecuted. She gave the A ok with her boyfriend to "abort" the baby. Its understandable the male teen got in trouble but the girl homefree? Damn Sexism if you ask me. :mad:

Agreed. Isn't sexism illegal in the States? Still maybe they decided that getting beaten with a baseball bat for two weeks was enough of a punishment [img]smile.gif[/img]

<font color = lightgreen>Truly abhorrent and inhuman. They might not regret the action now (well, he might, since he is facing potential prison time) but in later years they definitely will.
She might want to sleep with one eye open once he gets out of prison, because by that time he will blame her for his incarceration....</font>

As misguided as these kids may be, at least they weren't using contraception - which as we all know leads to promiscuity, godlessness, and social ruin.

Michigan requires parental consent to get an abortion...

<font color = lightgreen>Naughty, naughty, Absynthe! [img]graemlins/beigesmilewinkgrin.gif[/img] </font>

"county's medical examiner indicates that the fetus was premature and not viable at the time of the miscarriage"

<font face="Verdana" size="3" color="#00FF00">
Could someone tell me what this means? "the fetus was not viable", it was not yet a baby maybe. Hell if that is the case most doctors commit greater crimes. The title shocked me, then I found out the mother assisted wanted it, than I read this. How far along was she?? I guess it BEATS paying for an abortion. :eek: The mother gets off??? Isn't there such a thing as aiding in a crime. It sounds a bit like zealous prosecution, possibly a new law to give an extra charge so people are less willing to harm mothers/women who may be carrying a fetus and wants to have a baby. Not sure if it was meant to be prosecuted in this way but that is the funny thing about laws and lawyers. I think they may be just looking to prosecute someone under this law. To me it sounds like they could use this law to prevent doctors from performing miscarriages (abortions) on fetuses even a few weeks old. Just the way it is worded. </font>

Intentional conduct against a pregnant individual resulting in miscarriage or stillbirth

<font face="Verdana" size="3" color="#00FF00">Doesn't say that the mother allows it or not, when the mother pays the Doctor than the Doctor has Intent to cause miscarriage. So that is it for the US, no more abortions, it sounds like a federal law, the prosecution of this kid is just the first step. As far as I know a miscarrage can occur during any time of the pregnancy, a couple days even. The beating thing also seems a bit odd, the mother wasn't hurt, no broken ribs, no internal bleeding, no bruising. Weird!!! Did they even find the fetus?? All sounds fishy to me. </font>

[ 01-13-2005, 11:44 AM: Message edited by: pritchke ]

What really shocks me is the flippant attitude that people here feel towards this absolutely abhorrant act.

Would you like a 'pretentious moral superiority' medal? I think I have a few lying around here somewhere...

I see absolutely nothing at all flippant prior to your post, SD.

Please, elaborate.

I belive this post personifies the flippant attitude the most. If it was sarcasm, then it proves my point. If Absynthe was being serious, then I withdraw my statement and apologize for misinterpreting his statement.

I belive this post personifies the flippant attitude the most. If it was sarcasm, then it proves my point. If Absynthe was being serious, then I withdraw my statement and apologize for misinterpreting his statement. </font>[/QUOTE]While I was being sarcastic, I wasn't being flippant - this incident is reprehensible, but it is also not taking place in a vacuum. In context, this type of thing is sadly predictable, to the point of being nearly axiomatic. The more restrictive a society is, the more likely those restrictions will be circumvented. When the restrictions are focused on intrinsic human activities, the need to circumvent them becomes apparent.
It's been proven time and again in human civilisation: you cannot legislate morality. Attempts to do so have always ended poorly.

They should both be tried as adults, and spend their time in an adult facility. I have zero pity for these two.

Huzzah! finally someone agrees with me!