Yesterday afternoon the jury in the Scott Peterson murder trial found him guilty of first-degree murder of his wife Laci and second-degree murder of his unborn son Conner.
The question I have for everyone is this. If it’s legal to terminate a pregnancy by means of abortion, how can the jury consider Peterson guilty of murder of an unborn child? I’m not a pro-lifer. I don’t think I should have any say in a pregnancy unless I was partially responsible for that pregnancy.
I just wonder if this verdict might have farther-reaching ramifications than just what happens to Peterson. I’m pretty sure he did it. I didn’t follow the entire trial, but I had always thought that the prosecution didn’t present enough evidence to find him guilty. Apparently, I was mistaken.
I await your opinions.
Article comments
1 - aacool
In this case, the jury found for the prosecution on the evidence presented. I believe part of the evidence was that child might have been stillborn, or that death could have occurred post-partum, IANAL, but perhaps that means the death would have been considered homicide. So, it is not for abortion that the verdict of guilty on the charge of the child's death was given.
Also, for a killer of a pregnant woman to hide behind the protection of abortion would be a crass thing to do, indeed.
I too, would consider the decision that of the mother and the doctor, so the ethics or otherwise, of abortion are not at issue here.
2 - andy marsh
I agree with you aa, I'm just wondering if this could actually start a firestorm for those that believe otherwise.
3 - Mac Diva
I wouldn't expect you to know it, but many states have statutes that treat viable fetuses as persons when the mother is assaulted or killed. There's also a national statute. The key is that the fetus be viable, i.e., able to survive outside of the womb. Peterson's was.
Six men and six women convicted Peterson Friday of the first-degree murder of his wife, Laci, and the second-degree murder of the fetus she was carrying. The couple had planned to name their son Conner. The jury also agreed on a ``special circumstance'' that calls for capital punishment - namely that he killed another person - the fetus - while committing a felony - the intentional and premeditated killing of his wife.
The anti-abortion movement sees such statutes as a wedge in the door to making abortion illegal. If one can treat viable fetuses as persons, it argues, why not treat all fetuses as persons? With four more years of Bush, that question may be answered in a very backward way.
4 - andy marsh
thank you for the fine answer diva...the snide remark could have been left off...but other than that it was a fine answer to my question.
5 - boomcrashbaby
wasn't there tape found wrapped around the babies neck? I haven't followed this trial that lasted for all eternity on cable news (what will Larry King and Nancy Grace drool over now?), but the last I heard, there was a possibility the child was born before killed.
6 - andy marsh
I think I remember someone saying that there was duct tape found around the baby's neck...but they couldn't say for sure if it was from the tides or what...
7 - RJ
General rule of thumb regarding unborn babies:
- If the mother decides to kill it, it is her Constitutional right to do so, and it is often funded with taxpayer dollars
- If someone other than the mother kills it, it's a horrible murder.
Not that this is in any way logical, of course. But it's the law...
8 - yclipse
It's simple, isn't it? The baby was wanted and was killed. This was a real loss to the mother.
Someone once noted that the death of a fetus is recognized as a compensable loss to the mother, even if she was on her way to an abortion clinic at the time.
9 - Mac Diva
Perhaps some day reactionaries will figure out the difference between a fetus and a baby. . . but I ain't holdin' my breath until they do.
10 - andy marsh
I am asking a legitimate question here diva..instead of calling people names why don't you try explaining it to us! I have already said I'm not anti-abortion. But I do see this being a problem. As a matter of fact, I heard the VP's wife say something about this very issue earlier today when I was sitting in an airport. Unfortunately, there was to much background noise and I didn't catch all of her comment.