Apparently it's Murder.

[Cryozombie]

So.

Scott Peterson was found guilty of 2nd degree murder of his unborn child.

If you can kill an unborn child in the womb, and the court rules it second degree murder... what is an abortion? You are killing an unborn child still in the womb...

Is this the message the court is sending us?

 

[Feisty Mouse]

I understand that people want to punish someone who has committed such a horrible crime with as much as possible. Two counts are more than one.

But the precedent that this sets is unsettling. Because yes, then according to this ruling, an abortion may also be murder. I guess it depends on whether this court would take into account the wishes of the mother.

 

[PeachMonkey]

The issue of the "murder" of the Peterson fetus is not any kind of activist message by the court.

The state of California has had a "fetal homicide" statute on the books since 1970, under which courts are required to add a count of homicide in any case where a pregnant woman is murdered. The California Supreme Court has upheld the fetal homicide statute even if the accused did not realize that his victim was pregnant.

Various pro-life groups have attempted to leverage this and similar statutes toward their particular views on abortion rights, of course, but the Peterson case is not an instance of a court attempting to make a statement on fetal viability, but rather simply carrying out their duty under California law.

 

[GAB]

I wonder if that was the part, the jurors had such a tough time coming to a meeting of the minds?

I think the answer would be murder the mother, you have murderd the child,
I am sure she did not give her permission.

I will have to go read up on the findings and the juror statements.

Regards, Gary

 

[TonyM.]

This seems pretty obvious to me. If a woman plans to carry her baby through to birth and someone kills it, it's murder.