"The Granger woman whose feticide
conviction was overturned by the Indiana Court of Appeals last month is
now a free woman. St. Joseph Superior Court resentenced
Purvi Patel Wednesday to 18 months for the Class D felony. She has
served 525 days
and with Class 1 credit, has served a
total of 1050 days, which exceeds the new 18-month sentence. Last year, a jury convicted Patel of
Class A felony neglect of a dependent and Class B felony feticide.
Prosecutors alleged
she failed to provide medical care to her
baby immediately after his birth, a birth she induced by taking drugs in
an attempt
to have an abortion. The baby was
estimated to be between 25-30 weeks at birth. The Indiana Court of Appeals
reversed her convictions in July
and ordered her neglect charge entered as a Class D felony based on the
evidence at her trial. The Court of
Appeals held that the state misapplied the feticide law and it doesn’t
apply to
women who induce their own abortions. St. Joseph Superior Judge Elizabeth
Hurley ordered Patel immediately released from the Department of
Correction. The order
also says she shall not be subject to
supervision on parole. Patel’s case caught the attention of
several groups who claimed in amicus briefs in Patel’s appeal that
upholding
her convictions would criminalize women
for their pregnancy or child birth outcomes."