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Texas DA To Drop Charges Against Latina In Abortion Case After LULAC Opposes Prosecution For Murder As Unwarranted

Nation’s Largest and Oldest Latino Civil Rights Organization Praises Starr County District Attorney Gocha Allen Ramirez

Washington, DC - The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) issued the following statement Sunday and declared victory for the release of a 26-year-old Latina in Starr County along the Texas-Mexico border. Less than 24-hours ago, LULAC denounced her arrest and murder charges after being indicted by a grand jury for committing a “self-induced abortion” and called for her exoneration. The criminal action against her was based on a grand jury indictment dated March 30. In the charge, the grand jury said the woman “did and then and there intentionally and knowingly cause the death of an individual J.A.H by a self-induced abortion.” On Sunday after LULAC’s national statement, Ramirez announced he was dismissing the charges, the request LULAC made.

Domingo Garcia - LULAC National President
“LULAC applauds the decision by the Starr County District Attorney for recognizing and respecting the legal principles concerning this young Latina whose name we will not repeat here, out of respect for a very private and personal matter. Texas law exempts from murder charges, termination of a fetus by the pregnant woman herself. However, this public shaming and criminal persecution of a Latina under the guise of the law, highlights the very desperate situation some women are facing in Texas if they cannot access legal abortion services because they are unable to afford the travel costs. The injustice is that for women who can pay, their procedure remains private and out of the public eye. For those women who are poor, their difficult decision is turned into a public and even criminal spectacle. Shame on those politicians who exploit such health-related matters women are facing to seek votes. We pray this young woman will receive the guidance of her clergy and tell her attackers to cast the first stone if their lives are free of sin.”

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About LULAC
The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is the nation’s largest and oldest civil rights volunteer-based organization that empowers Hispanic Americans and builds strong Latino communities. Headquartered in Washington, DC, with 1,000 councils around the United States and Puerto Rico, LULAC’s programs, services and advocacy address the most important issues for Latinos, meeting critical needs of today and the future. For more information, visit https://lulac.org/