Nebraska Uses Facebook Info To Charge Woman For Aiding Daughter’s Abortion
The then-17-year-old girl in the case was about 24 weeks pregnant, AP reports, and the Facebook data included messages discussing using medication to abort the pregnancy. Nebraskan law currently forbids abortions after 20 weeks. Nebraska's governor recently resisted pressure to shorten that limit.
AP:
Nebraska Woman Charged With Helping Daughter Have Abortion
A Nebraska woman has been charged with helping her teenage daughter end her pregnancy at about 24 weeks after investigators uncovered Facebook messages in which the two discussed using medication to induce an abortion and plans to burn the fetus afterward. The prosecutor handling the case said it’s the first time he has charged anyone for illegally performing an abortion after 20 weeks, a restriction that was passed in 2010. Before the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June, states weren’t allowed to enforce abortion bans until the point at which a fetus is considered viable outside the womb, at roughly 24 weeks. (Funk, 8/10)
NBC News:
Facebook Turned Over Chat Messages Between Mother And Daughter Now Charged Over Abortion
Facebook turned over the chats of a mother and daughter to Nebraska police after getting served with a warrant as part of an investigation into an illegal abortion, court documents show. (Collier and Burke, 8/9)
Bloomberg:
Facebook User’s Messages Lead To Abortion Charges In Nebraska
So far, the biggest tech companies have declined to say how they might respond when police or courts demand data from them that could relate to the end of a pregnancy. In some cases, the patient, the care they seek, the company and the data itself may reside in different states with varying laws. (Wagner and Bass, 8/9)
And the governor of Nebraska won't call a special session to discuss stricter abortion laws —
ABC News:
Nebraska Governor Will Not Call Special Session To Discuss 12-Week Abortion Ban
Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts said Monday he will not call a special session to discuss stricter abortion laws because there is a lack of votes for the proposed legislation. Currently, the Cornhusker State bans abortion after 20 weeks. However, Republicans in the state legislature have been trying to garner support for a 12-week abortion ban. (Kekatos, 8/9)
