Saturday, October 23, 2010

Father's Abortion Choice Considered Attempted Murder

"He at gunpoint abducted her, at gunpoint got in the car with her, at gunpoint forced her to drive the car to the abortion clinic, at gunpoint threatened her, 'Go in there and carry it out.'"

-- From "Pregnant Girlfriend Forced To Abortion Clinic; 6 Counts For Accused" by Aex Mazer & Donna Willis, NBC4 Columbus, OH 10/19/10

A local man is indicted on six counts after he is accused of kidnapping the mother of his unborn baby [sic] and forcing her to go to an abortion clinic at gunpoint.

Dominic L. Holt-Reid, 28, was indicted on six counts Tuesday, including attempted murder with specification, kidnapping with specification, improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle, carrying a concealed weapon and having a weapon under disability. That's according to Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O'Brien.

Yolanda Burgess, 27, was in her vehicle with Holt-Reid, 28, after dropping off their 5-year-old at school at about 9:45 a.m. Wednesday, according to a Columbus police press release.

Holt-Reid became angry with Burgess because she refused to go through with an abortion that was scheduled for Wednesday morning at The Founders Women's Health Center on East Broad Street, the release said.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Questions raised in Ohio gunpoint abortion case" By Andrew Welsh-Huggins, The Associated Press 10/22/10

. . . The question: Can he be charged with attempted murder of her unborn child?

In what may be a precedent-setting case, prosecutors have leveled such a charge against Dominic Holt-Reid under a 1996 Ohio fetal homicide law that says a person can be found guilty of murder for causing the unlawful termination of a pregnancy.

Ohio's law and ones similar to it in dozens of other states have been routinely used to win convictions in auto accidents in which a pregnant woman died, and instances in which a mother-to-be was attacked physically.

But legal experts said they are hard-pressed to find a case similar to Holt-Reid's, and they are split over whether the prosecution is likely to succeed.

At least 38 states have fetal homicide laws increasing penalties for crimes against pregnant women, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. The question of whether homicide charges can be brought in connection with the death of a fetus is well-settled across the country.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.