Washington Fetal Homicide Bill (HB 1831)

HB 1831 would declare a person guilty of murder in the first degree when he or she intentionally causes the death of an “unborn quick child.”

This would include a person intentionally inflicting an injury upon the mother of unborn quick child; or when a person, potentially even the mother, “engages in conduct which creates a grave risk of death to an unborn viable child, and thereby causes it’s death.”

A person would be found guilty of second degree murder if he or she intentionally inflicts an injury upon the mother and causes a death of the unborn quick child but without premeditation.

In Washington, it is currently considered manslaughter for a person to intentionally kill an unborn quick child by inflicting an injury upon the mother.  This bill would increase the sentence to first or second degree murder, but would also allow for the mother to be found guilty of murder if she is believed to have acted “under circumstances manifesting an extreme indifference to human life” and caused the death of the unborn quick child.

STATUS

Similar to HB 2130.

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