�Several protagonism groups accept criticized recent prosecutions by Covington County, Ala., District Attorney Greg Gambril of women world Health Organization used illegal drugs piece pregnant -- making the county the "latest legal battleground" on the issuance, the AP/Google.com reports. The groups enunciate Gambril is wrongly prosecuting women by misinterpreting a 2006 state law meant to penalize parents and guardians wHO manufacture glass in their homes. Alabama outlaws exposing a nipper to illegal drugs or drug paraphernalia. Violating the ban carries a penalty of nonpareil to 10 years in prison. The maximum prison term is increased to 20 years for injuring a child and to life in prison for the death of a child.
Gambril has filed charges against seven women who either tested positivist for drugs after giving birth or while they were pregnant and on probation. He said the women requisite to be prosecuted in order to deter drug use and to protect these children. To living his posture, he cites a case in which a child was innate prematurely and died an hour later. Gambril said he has seen a change in behavior as word of the prosecutions has spread throughout the county in recent months, noting that no mothers on probation have tried and true positive for drugs.
The National Advocates for Pregnant Women, the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals and the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence have spoken out against Gambril, saying that the law was non meant to apply to pregnant women and their fetuses and that prosecuting these women could campaign women to seek abortions or avoid prenatal attention to escape prosecution. They also note that appellate courts in New Mexico, Kentucky, Nevada and Ohio have upturned convictions based on like laws. Tiloma Jayasinghe, an attorney for NAPW, aforesaid, "It is the first time I know of that a pregnant woman's body has been equated to a meth science laboratory."
Efforts to dismiss charges filed by Gambril against Shekelia Ward were spurned by Covington County Circuit Judge Charles Short. According to the AP/Google.com, Ward and her infant tried and true positive for cocaine curtly after the birth. Ward's attorney has taken the case to the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals, and Ward has been allowed to go to a rehab facility piece child risk charges ar still pending.
Alabama state Sen. Lowell Barron (D), world Health Organization sponsored the law, aforesaid he did not stand for it to be used in these cases. "I hate to see a young mother put in prison aside from her child," adding, "[I]f she could be put in a treatment program with her children, that would be the best course. Maybe we need to revisit the legislation." Alabama District Attorney's Association President Steve Marshall said he admires what Gambril is doing, adding, "This is an opportunity to get treatment and assistance to a mother whose addiction is so bad she has chosen to learn illegal drugs while carrying a child" (Rawls, AP/Google.com, 8/1).
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