TITLE 18

CRIMES AND PUNISHMENTS

CHAPTER 6

ABORTION AND CONTRACEPTIVES

18-615.  Criminal act to coerce or attempt to coerce a woman to obtain an abortion. (1) A person violates the provisions of this section when, knowing that a woman is pregnant, and with the intent to induce the pregnant woman to abort, whether by a medical procedure or otherwise:

(a)  Threatens to inflict physical injury or death on the pregnant woman; or

(b)  Conspires to inflict physical injury or death on the pregnant woman; or

(c)  Unlawfully inflicts physical injury on the pregnant woman.

(2)  A pregnant woman injured by reason of a person’s violation of the provisions of this section may bring a civil suit for recovery of damages for such injury, whether or not the perpetrator is criminally prosecuted or convicted. In such a civil suit, the pregnant woman shall be entitled to recover her reasonable attorney’s fees and costs if she is the prevailing party.

(3)  Violations of the provisions of this section are classified and punishable as follows:

(a)  A violation of subsection (1)(a) or (1)(b) of this section constitutes a misdemeanor punishable by not more than six (6) months in jail, or a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), or both.

(b)  A violation of subsection (1)(c) of this section constitutes a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than five (5) years, or a fine of not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000), or both.

(4)  The term "physical injury" means a condition of the body, such as a wound or external or internal injury, whether of a minor or serious nature, caused by physical force.

(5)  The term "woman" includes a minor female.

History:

[18-615, added 2008, ch. 388, sec. 1, p. 1067.]