Woman Freed After Judge Rejects Feticide Charge
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — A Baton Rouge woman who allegedly snorted cocaine before giving birth to a stillborn fetus has been freed from jail following a judge's decision to reject a criminal charge against her.
State District Judge Trudy White ruled that 32-year-old Princess Beachem couldn't be held on a charge of second-degree feticide because the felony count doesn't apply to actions by expectant mothers.
White told The Advocate (http://bit.ly/1aOJWpZ ) on Friday that her ruling doesn't prevent authorities from bringing a different charge against Beachem.
Beachem was seven months pregnant when she was taken to a hospital in September after complaining of stomach pains. After doctors performed an emergency cesarean section, Beachem allegedly told investigators she had snorted cocaine a few days earlier.
Beachem was arrested on Nov. 15.