Report Highlights Surge in Pregnancy-Related Charges

Following the U.S. Supreme Court's Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision overturning Roe v. Wade, at least 210 people faced criminal charges for conduct associated with pregnancy in the subsequent year, the highest on record. A report by Pregnancy Justice highlights that the majority of these charges involved allegations of substance use during pregnancy, with a significant number in states with abortion bans or restrictions such as Alabama, Oklahoma, and South Carolina. The concept of 'fetal personhood,' which grants legal rights to embryos or fetuses, has been central to many of these prosecutions. While most cases did not pertain directly to abortion, some included charges of child abuse, neglect, endangerment, and even homicide in instances of pregnancy loss. Researchers caution that this data likely underestimates the true extent of pregnancy criminalization, noting a significant rise in such prosecutions since the Dobbs decision.