National Advocates for Pregnant Women (NAPW) works on behalf of all pregnant women including pregnant women who have been arrested and charged with child abuse or some other crime because they continued a pregnancy to term in spite of a drug problem.

August 05, 2008

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By Barry Lester, PhD and Sue Veer, MBA, CMPE
State (Columbia, S.C.)
July 1, 2008

In 1991, Regina McKnight turned to cocaine to numb the pain she felt as a result of her mother's sudden death. Ms. McKnight happened to be pregnant at the time.

Today, we were thrilled to learn that after 8 long years, the South Carolina Supreme Court has finally reversed the 20-Year Homicide Conviction of Regina McKnight. The unanimous decision recognizes that research linking cocaine to stillbirths is based on "outdated" and inaccurate medical information.

26 Public Health and Medical Groups to U.S. Supreme Court: Women Who Suffer Stillbirths Are Not Murderers

South Carolina Prosecutors Want Homicide Trials for Stillbirths That Follow Any Conduct "Publicly Known" to be Harmful to Fetus

DRUG POLICY ALLIANCE

For Immediate Release:
Contact: Tony Newman
Tuesday, July 29, 2003
510-812-3126

26 Public Health and Medical Groups to U.S. Supreme Court: Women Who Suffer Stillbirths Are Not Murderers

South Carolina Prosecutors Want Homicide Trials for Stillbirths That Follow Any Conduct "Publicly Known" to be Harmful to Fetus

Court Urged to Review South Carolina Case That Sets "Dangerous Precedent" and Jeopardizes Doctor-Patient Relationship

Twenty-six organizations consisting of physicians, nurses, counselors, social workers, and public health practitioners have joined together to file an amicus curiae brief today urging the U.S. Supreme Court to review State v. McKnight- a South Carolina case that resulted in the first homicide conviction of a woman for suffering a stillbirth.

Source: The Augusta Chronicle (Georgia)
Pubdate: June 2, 2003

S.C. Law To High Court

The U.S. Supreme Court is being asked to review an extremely controversial South Carolina legal issue involving women who destroy their advanced pregnancy by taking addictive substances.

As is often the situation in precedent setting new cases, prosecutors chose as their test case one in which there would be little sympathy or support for the woman they targeted. In this case they picked Regina McKnight, an indigent African-American woman with numerous health problems, a limited education, and a drug problem that began after her mother was killed in a hit and run accident.

Advocates Will Continue To Fight For Regina McKnight's Release And Against Criminalizing The Behavior of Pregnant Women

DRUG POLICY ALLIANCE

For Immediate Release:
Contact: Lynn Paltrow, 212-255-9252

October 6, 2003 :
Tony Newman, 510-812-3126

Supreme Court Will Not Review Murder Conviction of Woman Who Suffered a Stillbirth South Carolina Woman Currently Serving 12 Years in Prison

Advocates Will Continue To Fight For Regina McKnight's Release And Against Criminalizing The Behavior of Pregnant Women

The U.S. Supreme Court announced its decision today not to review State of South Carolina v. Regina McKnight.

September 22, 2005
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In September of 2005, NAPW had an extraordinary opportunity to test the theory that by building on the lessons learned from our clients, our concurrent work on drug policy reform, and Terry McGovern's research on building grassroots pro-choice activism, we could begin to go on the offensive in our efforts to advance reproductive and social justice in America.

December 11, 2003
By: Silja J.A. Talvi, The Nation magazine, December 11, 2003

Regina McKnight is doing twelve years in prison for a stillbirth, carving out a dangerous intersection between the drug war and the antichoice movement. In the eyes of the South Carolina Attorney General's office, McKnight committed murder.