AZ Court rules in favor of inmates' abortion rights

An Arizona judge ordered Maricopa County Sheriff Joseph Arpaio to end a requirement for inmates to prepay transportation and security costs prior to obtaining an abortion. A 2005 lawsuit struck down the Arpaio's policy of prohibiting jail officials from transporting a prisoner for an abortion without a court order. However, Arpaio allegedly began requiring women to pre-pay for security and transportation costs associated with acquiring an abortion.

Alessandra Soler Meetze, Executive Director of the ACLU of Arizona, said in a statement, "The courts have already confirmed that Arizona prison officials cannot put up roadblocks to abortion care simply because they do not agree with the decision to end a pregnancy...It is time for Sheriff Arpaio to stop wasting taxpayer dollars to impose his own morality on women in his jails and to start upholding the law."

The original policy that required a court order to access an abortion was challenged by an inmate in 2004. The ACLU sued and won on behalf of the women, "confirm[ing] [their] position that Arizona prison officials cannot ignore the medical needs of prisoners simply because they do not agree with the decision to end a pregnancy." As part of the settlement, the sheriff agreed to allow female inmates access to have safe, timely, and legal abortions. The US Supreme Court rejected an appeal of the case in 2008.

According to the Washington Independent, it is likely that Sheriff Arpaio will appeal the ruling.

Source: Feminist News

Photo Credit: Tim Pearce, Los Gatos on flickr.com

Statement of Eleanor Smeal On the Arrest of Roman Polanski

The Feminist Majority Foundation joins our sister feminist organizations in working to ensure rape is prosecuted as the heinous crime that it is, especially against girls.

The Feminist Majority Foundation is a leader in the fight to end all forms of violence against women and is demanding the expeditious processing of all back-logged rape kits in the possession of law enforcement authorities so that perpetrators can be brought to justice.

The Feminist Majority Foundation believes Roman Polanski should be extradited to the United States to face the consequences of his conviction for raping a 13-year old girl in 1977. No one is above the law.

The chair of our board, Peg Yorkin, was quoted in the Los Angeles Times yesterday providing her personal opinion on the matter of Polanski's arrest, but wants to make clear she condemns rape. Her statement on Polanski's arrest, however, does not reflect the position of the Feminist Majority Foundation.

Oklahoma man gets only 1 year sentence for raping 4 year old girl

So. Oklahoma. I love you. I really, really do. I remember fondly the days when I lived someplace without constant motorcades or massive hills to scale on the way to work, where wide open spaces are ample and the word "y'all" doesn't get me sideways glances.

However.

Sometimes you disappoint me terribly.

Here's what I don't get - this guy admitted to the crime and they had medical evidence proving that she was assaulted. Whether they judge that a 5 year old is capable of bearing witness to such a horrific event or not should come secondary to scientific evidence, regardless!

Admittedly, I'm not a lawyer. But even if the prosecution didn't feel like they could make a case for lack of DNA tying the accused man to the rape, his admission of guilt to any form of inappropriate contact should be enough to keep him in custody for more than a year.

It's terrifying, that this guy with a prior criminal record (according to this CNN video, he has a 1982 conviction of shooting a man, was sentenced to 20 years for assault and battery in 1996 before being released in 2003 after a terminal cancer diagnosis) will be back out in society at large in September.

Now, I'm no fan of our criminal justice system. The prison industrial complex is highly troublesome to me. But what really burns me here is that this system, set up under the guise of protecting society from harm and vice, is neglecting to protect some of the most vulnerable members of that society - children. To me, this is a perfect example of the system's failure.

It's probably quite obvious that I'm utterly appalled. I want your opinions, though. What should have been done here? What can we do to change things in the future? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

Thanks to Vanessa at Feministing for the headsup on this story.