Getty
Marshae Jones, 28, has had her manslaughter charges dropped after her unborn child died when she was shot in the stomach on December 4 last year.
At the time, Alabama police alleged that Jones started the fight with the woman who shot her, co-worker Ebony Jemison. Authorities argued that Jones, who was five-months pregnant at the time, was culpable for the death of the fetus because she failed to get herself out of the situation.
Jones was indicted for homicide in June. The shooter went free.
Seven months after the tragic incident, an Alabama district attorney dropped the charges after widespread outrage about the ruling.
“There are no winners in this case, only losers in the sad ordeal,” said prosecutor Lynneice Washington after the charges were dismissed, according to the BBC.
After the decision was announced, Jones’ lawyers said, “We are gratified the district attorney evaluated the matter and chose not to proceed with a case that was neither reasonable nor just.”
The case comes amid controversy in the US over women’s rights to choose whether a fetus should “count” as a person under the law. In May, Alabama voted to pass the most severe restrictions on abortion across the country. Twenty-five Republican male state senators passed a bill outlawing abortion from the moment of conception onward, without provisions for cases of rape or incest.
After her case sparked Handmaid’s Tale comparisons, Jones has received wide-spread support on social media.
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
