Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Oklahoma Woman Convicted Of Manslaughter After Suffering A Miscarriage—And People Are Outraged

Oklahoma Woman Convicted Of Manslaughter After Suffering A Miscarriage—And People Are Outraged
Comanche County Jail

Outrage from reproductive rights groups and others are flooding social media after a 21-year-old was sentenced to four years in prison after suffering a miscarriage.

Brittney Poolaw, who's from Oklahoma and a member of the Comanche Nation, had a miscarriage while using methamphetamine.


The court found her guilty of first-degree manslaughter on October 6 and her attorney filed a notice of intent to appeal on October 15.

An autopsy of the fetus was done and methamphetamine was found in the brain and liver, however that was not determined to be the cause of death.

Lynn Paltrow, executive director of the National Advocates for Pregnant Women, said the cause of death could have been a congenital abnormality and placental abruption.

Prosecutors argued that Poolaw's use of meth fell under Oklahoma's manslaughter statute.

National Advocates for Pregnant Women (NAPW) released a statement that contradicted prosecutor's claim:

"Oklahoma's murder and manslaughter laws do not apply to miscarriages, which are pregnancy losses that occur before 20 weeks, a point in pregnancy before a fetus is viable (able to survive outside of the womb)."
"And, even when applied to later losses, Oklahoma law prohibits prosecution of the 'mother of the unborn child' unless she committed 'a crime that caused the death of the unborn child.'"

USA TODAY reported that Poolaw sought medical attention when she miscarried between 15 and 17 weeks of pregnancy.

According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, a fetus typically cannot survive outside of the womb before 24 weeks of gestation.

For people who can get pregnant under the age of 35, there's a 15% chance of a miscarriage.

Tyler Box, a partner at the Overman Legal Group in Oklahoma City unaffiliated with the case, said:

"Here, Assistant District Attorney Galbraith believed that but for Ms. Poolaw's methamphetamine consumption this unborn fetus would have been carried to term."
"The issue that jumps out to me initially is how the state was able to prove that it was in fact the meth usage that was the proximate cause of the death."

In Oklahoma, there isn't a law that makes it illegal to consume banned substances, which may assist Poolaw's appeal chances.

NAPW said:

"Ms. Poolaw's case is a tragedy."
"She has suffered the trauma of pregnancy loss, has been jailed for a year and a half during a pandemic, and was charged and convicted of a crime without basis in law or science."

Many are speaking up about Poolaw's case on social media.





@Sis_aaxs/Twitter



@Choriandr/Twitter

@delelise12/Twitter

@wuz1vic/Twitter






NAPW says that these cases are actually on the rise.

Rewire News Groupreported:

"According to [NAPW's] analysis, from 1973 to 2005 there were at least 413 cases in which a woman's pregnancy or pregnancy outcome was a determinative factor in her loss of liberty."
"Since 2005 that number has tripled to over 1,200, indicating a rapid escalation of these types of arrests."

NAWP also tweeted:

"These cases include pregnant women who have been arrested for falling down stairs, drinking alcohol, giving birth at home, being in a 'dangerous' location, having HIV, experiencing a drug dependency problem, or attempting suicide."
"The majority of women subjected to pregnancy-based prosecutions are low-income women, drug-using women, and women of color."

The organization has shared several policy statements from health officials saying pregnant women who have drug dependencies or addictions should not be criminally penalized. They deserve care and treatment.

More from Trending

Martin Scorsese at the “Kundun” screening for the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival.
Dominik Bindl/Getty Images

Scorsese sparks debate on theaters

Martin Scorsese won’t be watching the latest summer blockbuster in a movie theater anymore.

Film critic Peter Travers interviewed the 82-year-old famed director of Goodfellas and The Irishman for his blog, The Travers Take. The website is the latest project from Travers, a film critic for Rolling Stone and Good Morning America, as well as a longtime friend of Scorsese.

Keep ReadingShow less
Dakota Johnson and Chris Evans on TODAY
TODAY/YouTube

Dakota Johnson Stuns 'Today' Viewers With Her Hilariously Blunt Dating 'Non-Negotiable'

Dakota Johnson, Pedro Pascal, and Chris Evans are excited about their upcoming film Materialists and have been actively touring to discuss the movie and its central themes of dating and dating expectations, often to hilarious effect.

Some highlights have been Pascal calling out Johnson for not remembering the first time they met, and Evans epically winning a round of identifying romance films based on one, sometimes incredibly obscure, line.

Keep ReadingShow less
Bernadette Peters; Cole Escola
Rob Kim/Getty Images; TheStewartofNY/FilmMagic

Bernadette Peters Offers Hilarious Reaction To Cole Escola's Tribute To Her Iconic Gown At The Tony Awards

Awards shows always have two competitions: the actual awards, and the red carpet outside.

Cole Escola, star and playwright of the hit show Oh, Mary!, did both at the Tony Awards this year. Escola, who won the Best Leading Actor in a Play for their performance, first showed up prior to the event to show off their intricate and stunning look, an homage to actor Bernadette Peters' iconic look from the 1999 Tony Awards.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pam Bondi
Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images

AG Pam Bondi's Brother Blames 'Rabid Partisans' After Getting Absolutely Walloped In DC Election

MAGA Republican President Donald Trump has often bragged about his overwhelming victory over Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, claiming he won by a landslide. But while he did manage to finally win a popular vote in 2024, something he lost in 2016 and 2020, it was hardly a landslide.

About 90 million eligible, registered voters didn't bother to vote at all in 2024, while Trump garnered only ~77 million votes, VP Harris received about ~75 million—a difference of only ~2 million which is less than the population of Trump's hometown of Queens, New York City.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kristi Noem
Alex Brandon - Pool/Getty Images

Kristi Noem's Past Views On National Guard Come Back To Bite Her After She Backs Trump Amid LA Protests

California Governor Gavin Newsom called out the hypocrisy of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem after sharing a clip from last year showing she'd once criticized the Biden administration for considering deploying the National Guard when Democrats suggested it as a response to Texas' immigration crackdown at the time.

That's noteworthy because Noem has made an about-face, defending President Donald Trump's decision to deploy the National Guard to Los Angeles amid ongoing protests in response to his administration's immigration raids by claiming he'd taken this drastic step "for the safety of this community ... to keep peace."

Keep ReadingShow less