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Nebraska mother sentenced to two years in prison on Friday after being accused of helping her 17-year-old daughter perform an illegal abortion and dispose of the fetus.
The sentencing comes after Jessica Burgess, 42, pleaded guilty in July of two felonies (removing, concealing or abandoning a dead human body and performing an abortion beyond 20 weeks) and a misdemeanor charge of false information, the Norfolk Daily News reported.
Burgess’ daughter, Celeste Burgess, now 19, was sentenced in July to 90 days in jail after pleading guilty to a felony charge of removing, concealing or abandoning a dead human body.
Norfolk police began investigating the women in April 2022 following concerns that Celeste Burgess had given birth to a stillborn fetus, according to court documents.
The authorities alleged that Celeste Burgess had a medical abortion when she was around 28 weeks pregnantthereby violating the state’s ban on abortion after 20 weeks.
Earlier this year, Nebraska’s governor signed a bill banning most abortions after 12 weeks, with exceptions for sexual assault, incest and medical emergencies.
Investigators reviewed Facebook messages between the suspects to establish that they discussed obtaining abortion pills and burning evidence, court documents showed.
The pills purchased by Jessica Burgess are not prescribed by doctors after the pregnancy has reached 10 weeks, Madison County Prosecutor Joe Smith said, according to the Norfolk Daily News.
“This defendant actually gave these drugs to her own daughter. The defense attorney did a good job preventing a child abuse case. All this was unnecessary. “It was all nonsense,” Smith said, according to the newspaper.
Jessica Burgess disputed some of the claims in the police reports but accepted responsibility for her actions, her attorney Brad Ewalt said in the report.
“I understand that there are violations of the law. I understand that there are serious violations of the law. She understands that she faces serious sanctions, but she accepts them. And she is willing to accept whatever the court gives her.” indicated the lawyer.
Jessica Burgess can be released after serving one year in prison.
Madison County District Judge Mark Johnson reprimanded her in court.
“I shudder to think, Mrs. Burgess, that you have such a lack of respect for (call it a human fetus, call it a stillborn child) that you would treat it like yesterday’s trash and give it no respect in its treatment and disposal. Our society expects more; demands more,” Johnson said.
“You were the adult this whole time and you failed miserably at being your son’s adult advisor,” he added.
It is one of the most controversial cases, after last year the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, who for 50 years had established the constitutional right to abortion.
Even Nebraska lawmakers who opposed Republican efforts to severely restrict abortion access in the legislative session that ended in June repeatedly cited the Norfolk case and said it shows that state prosecutors would target women who They seek abortions with criminal sanctions.
Keep reading:
• Nebraska woman pleads guilty to burning fetus after inducing abortion
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• Nebraska woman sentenced to 90 days in jail for burning fetus after abortion