On September 20, 2018, feticide and involuntary manslaughter charges were dismissed against Kelli Driskel. In December of 2017, Ms. Driskel went to the emergency room after experiencing a stillbirth at home. An autopsy was later performed on the fetal remains and the cause of death was determined to be placental abruption with "acute methamphetamine intoxication" listed as a contributing factor.
Victory in Indiana
Vote “No” on Amendment 2 in Alabama on November 6th!
Alabama’s Ballot Measure Would Impact All Pregnant Women and People Who Want to Be Pregnant
Voters in Alabama must defeat Amendment 2. The ballot measure’s supporters claim that it will only impact abortion. But Amendment 2 would make it state policy—under all of Alabama’s laws—to “recognize and support the sanctity of unborn life and the rights of unborn children.
A Victory in the Fight for Justice for Pregnant Women
On September, 13, 2018, prosecutors in Chesterfield County, Virginia finally dropped the criminal charge of "producing an abortion," a class 4 felony, filed against Michelle Roberts. Almost three years ago Ms. Roberts had experienced a stillbirth at home and placed the fetal remains in the ground behind her house.
NAPW Mourns the Passing of Dr. Robert “Bob” Newman
National Advocates for Pregnant Women (NAPW) mourns the passing of Dr. Robert "Bob" Newman, long- standing board member, humanitarian, and fierce champion of the rights and dignity of people who use or are dependent on drugs. With love, gratitude for his career of dedicated and generous advocacy, and condolences to his family and all who had the honor of working with him.
Federal Court of Appeals Decision Prevents Pregnant Woman’s Challenge to Wisconsin’s “Unborn Child Protection Act”
June 18, 2018 - Today a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit vacated a well-reasoned decision by a federal district court that had struck down Wisconsin's Unborn Child Protection Act (Act 292) as unconstitutional. The appeals court panel avoided grappling with Act 292's numerous constitutional problems by ruling that the woman challenging it, Tamara Loertscher, could not continue to do so because she had moved out of Wisconsin.
Medical and Public Health Group Statements Opposing Prosecution and Punishment of Pregnant Women
Every leading medical and public health organization to address the issue of pregnant women and drug use has taken a position opposing punitive approaches as dangerous to maternal, fetal and child health. Please download this fact sheet providing summaries of and citations to these statements.
Rinat Dray Decision Proves How Hard it is for Women Subjected to Forced Surgeries to Get Justice
On April 4, 2018, a mid-level New York appeals court ruled against Rinat Dray, reminding us of the enormous challenges women face when they seek redress for obstetric violence through the court system.
In this case Ms. Dray had gone to Staten Island University Hospital to deliver her third child.
NAPW Supports El Salvadoran Women and Girls’ Human Rights!
NAPW and NYU Law School's Reproductive Justice Clinic, along with more than twenty leading international human rights and public health experts, submitted an amicus (friend of the court) brief to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (the "Commission") in support of Manuela, a woman who died in prison after being convicted under El Salvador's total abortion ban.
Statement from Lynn M. Paltrow, Executive Director, National Advocates for Pregnant Women
NAPW Calls on Senators to Oppose S. 2311, Federal Legislation Banning Abortions After 20 Weeks Senate Bill 2311 Demeans and Denies the Personhood of Pregnant Women
The Senate is scheduled to vote today on S. 2311, a law making it a crime to perform or attempt to perform an abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
State of the Union: Who will defend and advocate for the pregnant woman?
During the January 2018 State of the Union address, we heard President Trump declare that his "administration is committed to fighting the drug epidemic and helping get treatment for those in need." But rather than describing how the government will expand access to drug treatment (and no plans have been put forward for an increase in funding this year) he launched into a story about a police officer in New Mexico who saw "a pregnant, homeless woman preparing to inject heroin.