re: That you can kill your own baby and get away with murder is well known...

quote:

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[The suspect] would be charged with first-degree attempted murder, two counts of first-degree assault, two counts of second-degree assault and unlawful termination of a pregnancy. Lane faces up to 176 years in prison if convicted on all counts, the prosecutor's office said.

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It's just a matter of the current wording of Colorado law. You can't have murdered someone who hadn't already been born. It could help us all to feel a little better to focus on the fact that the suspect is being charged with (two counts of) assault against the unborn child and with unlawful termination of a pregnancy.

I don't think this is a case of the [spirit of the] law's being indifferent to unborn babies. It's just that the Colorado legistlature got left looking short-sighted in their choice of words. I wouldn't be surprised if the law there is changed a little in the near future.

And-- unfortunately enough sometimes-- I'm sure we'll agree that you can't charge anyone with a crime that wasn't a crime when the act was committed, even if you are going to come back later and make said act a crime.

And AUbagman (sp?) was just making a point toward some technical argument. I think a lot of you jumped on him unnecessarily.