Is harming a fetus with liquor illegal?
September 10, 1996 Web posted at: 11:40 p.m. EDT RACINE, Wisconsin (CNN) — On March 16, 1996, 35-year-old Deborah Zimmerman walked through the door of the West Side Lounge in Racine, Wisconsin. Witnesses say she was on a drinking binge. They also noticed she was pregnant — nine months pregnant. Her daughter was born later that day with a blood alcohol level of 0.199, double what would be considered legally drunk in an adult. For drinking throughout her pregnancy to the detriment of her fetus, Zimmerman was charged with the attempted murder of her child. The baby’s mental development has been slower than normal, and she shows the physical signs of a child suffering from fetal alcohol syndrome. Ms. Zimmerman is believed to be the first woman in the United States charged with attempting to kill her fetus by drinking. She lost custody of her baby, and is now “working very hard to meet the court orders that she needs in order to have her daughter returned to her,” her public defender said
Related Questions
- Who can I contact when I have a complaint or suspect illegal activity by a bar, club, liquor store, restaurant or other business selling beverage alcohol products (spirits, wine or beer)?
- If illegal substances are discovered or suspected within any container, what steps will NS take to prevent these items from harming or reaching local residents and/or children?
- Are medical marijuana dispensaries illegal? Should they be regulated like liquor stores?
