http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/01/24/new-mexico-abortion-evidence-tampering/1862767/
N.M. bill calls post--blam!- abortion 'evidence tampering'
Michael Winter, USA TODAY8:06p.m. EST January 24, 2013
Critics claim sex-assault victims would be criminals or forced to carry unwanted pregnancies. Lawmaker says it's aimed at attackers.
(Photo: New Mexico Legislature)
A New Mexico lawmaker has drawn fire for proposing legislation to classify an abortion after a sexual assault as "tampering with evidence."
Critics pounced on House Bill 206, introduced Wednesday by Republican state Rep. Cathrynn N. Brown, of Carlsbad, saying victims of sexual assault could be charged with a felony if they sought an abortion after -blam!- or incest. But Brown said Thursday that the legislation was aimed at attackers, not victims.
"House Bill 206 was never intended to punish or criminalize -blam!- victims," Brown said in a statement. "Its intent is solely to deter -blam!- and cases of incest. The rapist — not the victim — would be charged with tampering of evidence.
"New Mexico needs to strengthen its laws to deter sex offenders," the statement added. "By adding this law in New Mexico, we can help to protect women across our state."
Brown said she would amend her legislation to make the intent clearer, the Albuquerque Journal reports.
Democrats control both chambers, so the legislation would have no chance of passing.
The chairman of the state Democratic Party issued a statement, saying the original bill was "atrocious ... wrong, and should never see the light of day in any legislature in this country, let alone New Mexico."
Here's what H.B. 206 says:
A. Tampering with evidence consists of destroying, changing, hiding, placing or fabricating any physical evidence with intent to prevent the apprehension, prosecution or conviction of any person or to throw suspicion of the commission of a crime upon another.
B. Tampering with evidence shall include procuring or facilitating an abortion, or compelling or coercing another to obtain an abortion, of a fetus that is the result of criminal sexual penetration or incest with the intent to destroy evidence of the crime.
As a third-degree felony, the crime could be carry a sentence of up to three years in prison.
Brown, an attorney who just began her second term, told the Carlsbad Current-Argus on Thursday that her bill was "badly drafted" and that she missed the possible interpretation when reviewing the language.
"I missed this one," she said.
But state Democratic spokesman Scott Forrester said Thursday evening "it's impossible that this was a mistake," noting that the bill had nine GOP co-sponsors.
"She got caught," he said. "She can't backtrack. ... Her agenda is pretty clear."
USA TODAY has asked Brown what language she would add to try to clarify that the bill would target only attackers, not victims or family members who might encourage a woman or girl to have an abortion. She has not yet responded to e-mails.
[b]///TLDR Abortion after S. Assault is to be called tampering with evidence by the NM representative. [/b] To clarify, it would be the rapist. What do you think of this?
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Really? People against abortion are getting so desperate that they're starting to call abortion after sexual assault EVIDENCE TAMPERING? Well with the GOP hiring people who say things like this, it's highly unlikely they'll win another election.
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So I guess the liberals are going to generalize every republican now. How surprising.
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The Party of Stupid continues to reinforce their image. There's something about a Republican that just can't help himself when the topic of -blam!- comes up. They just start foaming at the mouth. Until the party is purged of lunatics the Republican brand will keep being looked down on.
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Im not a fan of abortion but tampering with evidence makes no sense.
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I am so sick of hearing terms being misused and applied. Yes, I am a Republican. Yes I am anti-abortion, anti-LGBT, and so on. Those are my personal views. I would rather we leave it to the people and states to decide on the matter. The Republican view is always generalized as if we want to force our views onto society. As a whole this is not the case. In fact, liberals are the ones who want to do so.
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Children of -blam!- deserve as much life as we do.
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Why do people elect retards like this?
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The intent of this bill is to stop the destruction of evidence and prevent evidence of tampering? Introduced by Republicans? In New Mexico? Bullshit.
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LOL SHE SO DUM JUST LIKE REST OF TEH PARTY HURRRRR
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Damn you! I was trying to post this earlier and it always kicked back an error. The kicker with this bill is that a woman introduced it...
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I'm giving her the benefit of the doubt that the bill's intent was misinterpreted.
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>baby now considered evidence wut.jpg If they want evidence, how about the semen collected?
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Oh New Mexico...
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[quote]"House Bill 206 was never intended to punish or criminalize -blam!- victims," Brown said in a statement. "Its intent is solely to deter -blam!- and cases of incest. The rapist — not the victim — would be charged with tampering of evidence.[/quote] [quote]B. Tampering with evidence shall include procuring or facilitating an abortion, or compelling or coercing another to obtain an abortion, [/quote] If the bill wasn't meant to punish victims, then why are both people who have abortions and people who force others to have abortions specified?
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Though I disagree with the morality of aborting a fetus that is the result of r@pe, I don't think that it should be illegal.
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If I'm reading this correctly, this person wants post--blam!- abortions to be illegal because that will somehow stop the rapist? Someone took the fast lane to full retard and blew right past it.