The state recently charged a physician with murder in connection to a tragic abortion procedure. The state charged the New York doctor, who has conducted over 40,000 abortions, with a crime in connection to the procedure.
What happened during the procedure? The physician conducted an abortion on a 30-year-old woman that was approximately six months pregnant. The prosecution accuses the physician of negligent completion of the procedure. They contend the negligence resulted in a severed uterine aorta.
The patient began bleeding excessively after the procedure. The physician conducted an additional procedure to attempt to address the issue. Unfortunately, this second procedure was not effective and the patient ultimately died from blood loss.
What happened at trial? The physician’s trial took place at a Queens County Criminal Court in New York. The prosecution initially accused the physician of second-degree manslaughter. The courts consider second-degree manslaughter similar to reckless homicide. This was the charge sent to the jury — a charge that resulted in deadlock.
The deadlock was likely connected to the fact that the doctor was able to build a defense to the charges to lessen the offense. One of the key elements to the doctor’s defense was the fact that the patient was not forthright with previous medical conditions. The patient suffered an undisclosed medical condition that resulted in an increased likelihood of severe bleeding.
The defense strategy was an effective one, leading in the reduction of a sentence that could result in 15 years of prison time to a charge that will likely lead to only a few months.