Woe unto you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge.
—- Luke 11:52
Judge Richard L. Lamb, of the Kalamazoo (michigan) County Circuit, hands down people v. Kerr, sentencing Jaclyn Kerr to 5 to 20 years for involuntary manslaughter. In not setting aside the jury’s guilty verdict, Lamb sends the message that a woman does not have the right to use deadly force to defend her preborn child from a physical assault, as a fetus is not legally recognized as a person.
[restored 5/14/2023] Thanks Laura Schlesinger for this entry.
In this case wasn’t the mother’s body the defensive shield between her fetus and her attacker? How was the fetus threatened with no threat to the putative mother? Also be aware that bad cases make bad law, especially when all of the facts are not known. ——JL
Subsequent Events:
Authority:
“Law of the Jungle”
ccc-2point0.com/preface
References:
Adam Liptak, “Ruling On Pregnant Killer Adds to Abortion Debate,” Orange County (California) Register, 16 October 2002, News:11.
Woman’s fetus defense was right, judges say
www.freep.com/news/nw/fetus9_20021009.htm