Newswire

Jailed Crack Dealer Granted Abortion

Feds Allow Crack Mom to Murder Baby

A federal magistrate judge on Monday authorized a crack dealer to be furloughed from jail to have an abortion.

The approval of a medical furlough for an abortion may be the first of its kind in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee. No one familiar with the federal court system here could recall such a motion.

U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Bruce Guyton approved the medical furlough at the request of defense attorney Kevin C. Angel.

Citing federal medical privacy laws, Guyton did not detail the "medical procedure" for which a furlough was sought. The judge sealed both Angel's motion for the furlough and his own order of approval.

Discussions about the request between Guyton, Angel and Assistant U.S. Attorney Steve Cook were held in private in the judge's chambers.

However, the News Sentinel had obtained a copy of Angel's motion prior to the hearing and before Guyton ordered it sealed.

In the motion, Angel wrote that his client, Heather Natasha Marie Whitt, "learned after her incarceration" on a federal crack cocaine conspiracy indictment issued Aug. 17 that she was pregnant.

"The pregnancy is high risk in nature and could expose (Whitt) to serious health risks," Angel wrote. "(Whitt) has scheduled a procedure to terminate the pregnancy on Friday."

Whitt is accused along with Benjamin Gary of hawking crack in Anderson County from January 2003 to February of this year.

The government is not footing the bill for the abortion, records show. It's not known who is paying for the procedure.

If Guyton had refused to grant Whitt the furlough, taxpayers would be picking up the tab for whatever medical care a doctor deems necessary while she is jailed pending trial.

Guyton has authorized Whitt to be freed at noon Thursday. She is to return to jail at 10 a.m. next Tuesday.

"Obviously, Ms. Whitt, if you feel like you are in a condition to run away and you try to run away, the (U.S.) Marshals (Service) will find you straightaway," Guyton said.


http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/state/ar
ticle/0,1406,KNS_348_4093764,00.html

Posted by Editor at September 20, 2005 09:36 AM