Ohio Physicians for Reproductive Rights argues that charges conflict with newly passed reproductive rights amendment
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Physicians for Reproductive Rights, a nonpartisan coalition of 4,000 doctors and others, is calling for the Trumbull County Prosecutor to drop criminal charges against Brittany Watts, a woman who miscarried in the restroom at her home. The physicians’ group argues that the abuse-of-corpse charge conflicts with the spirit and letter of Ohio’s newly passed reproductive rights amendment, known as Issue 1.
Issue 1, which was approved in November by 57% of the vote, guarantees an individual’s right to make and carry out their own reproductive decisions. It made Ohio the seventh state in a row to vote in favor of protecting reproductive rights since the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Watts’ case has brought national attention to the treatment of pregnant women, particularly Black women, in post-Roe America. Civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump raised awareness about Watts’ situation on social media, and supporters have donated over $135,000 through GoFundMe to cover her legal defense, medical bills, and trauma counseling.
Watts miscarried at home on September 22, after being informed by a doctor that her fetus had a heartbeat but was nonviable. She sought care at Mercy Health-St. Joseph’s Hospital in Warren but left twice due to lengthy wait times and feeling anxious and judged. When she returned home, no longer pregnant and bleeding, a nurse called the police. The police found the fetus wedged in the pipes, and Watts was subsequently charged with abusing a corpse.
Watts’ attorney, Traci Timko, argues that Watts is being unfairly “demonized” for something that is a common occurrence. An autopsy confirmed that there were no recent injuries to the fetus, which had died in utero. The charge against Watts carries a potential sentence of up to a year in prison and a $2,500 fine.
In a letter to Trumbull County Prosecutor Dennis Watkins, Dr. Lauren Beene, executive director of Ohio Physicians for Reproductive Rights, stated that it was wrong for the nurse, hospital administrators, police, and the prosecutor to handle Watts’ case in the manner they did. The physicians’ group is concerned that this case will discourage other women from seeking necessary miscarriage care.
Ohio Physicians for Reproductive Rights has shared their letter with the Warren mayor, law director, and city council members, hoping to garner support for dropping the charges against Watts. The organization urges Prosecutor Watkins to be the first law enforcement official to do the right thing in this matter.
As of now, Prosecutor Watkins has not commented on the pending grand jury case.