Cracking down on child endangerment
by digby
It's past time for parents to take responsibility for their dangerous behavior around their kids:
A Memphis woman is behind bars on a DUI and child endangerment charge even though she did not have a child in the car with her, and blood alcohol level was under the legal limit.
Maria Guerra was driving in a car by herself when she crashed on I-240 Sunday morning just south of Walnut Grove. Her blood alcohol content was only half the legal limit, yet, she is charged with DUI-child endangerment with a child under 18 because she told an officer she is four months pregnant.
Memphis police say Guerra smelled of alcohol, was unsteady on her feet, and had bloodshot eyes.
Tennessee Code 39-13-214 recognizes a "Viable Fetus as a Victim". The state will "…include a viable fetus of a human being, when any such terms refers to the victim of any act made criminal…"
She is behind bars on a $5,000 bond.
What a horrible person, putting her fetus in danger that way. She should know that if this happens, they'll throw the book at her for being so irresponsible. If only she had accidentally shot her five year old, she would be home free:
No charges will be filed against the Cleburne dad who shot his daughter while loading his gun.
Police said the accident happened this past Friday. The man was loading a handgun that he had recently purchased and accidentally fired it.
He shot his 5-year-old daughter in the abdomen.
She was taken to Cooks Children's Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Police and the district attorney's office reviewed the case and decided it was an accident. No criminal charges will be filed.
That's good. It's not as if a fetus was endangered. That would be really, really bad.
I realize that the first case was in Tennessee and the second in Texas. But they arrest women for endangering their fetuses in Texas too.
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*Not excusing the drunk driving, btw. That is a criminal offense.
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