June 27 (UPI) — A woman who was shot while pregnant in 2018 has been indicted for the death of her unborn baby, while the woman who shot the gun faces no charges.
A Jefferson County grand jury indicted Marshae Jones, 27, on manslaughter although she did not fire the shots in the Dec. 4 shooting that killed the unborn child.
Ebony Jemison, 23, was originally charged with murder and attempted murder in the shooting, but the charges were dismissed after a grand jury failed to indict her.
Authorities said Jones was responsible for starting the fight that eventually led to the shooting while she was five months pregnant.
Pleasant Grove police Lt. Danny Reid said Jones initiated a fight with Jemison about the unborn baby’s father, ultimately causing Jemison to defend herself.
“Let’s not lose sight that the unborn baby is the victim here,” Reid said. “She had no choice in being brought unnecessarily to a fight where she was relying on her mother for protection.”
Jones will be transferred to Jefferson County Jail and held on $50,000 bond.
The Yellowhammer Fund, a member of the National Network of Abortion Funds, condemned the decision to charge Jones for her unborn child’s death.
“The state of Alabama has proven yet again that the moment a person becomes pregnant their sole responsibility is to produce a live, healthy baby and that it considers any action a pregnant person takes that might impede in that live birth to be a criminal act,” the group’s Executive Director Amanda Reyes said.
