Policy

Go Forth And Give Birth No More

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Travis County, Texas, Judge Charlie Baird orders a woman who neglected to protect her daughter from an abusive father, or get her appropriate medical care after the beating, to bear no more children. (The dad's in jail, the daughter's in foster care.)

From the Austin-American Statesman report:

Baird said Texas law gives judges the discretion to set any conditions of probation deemed reasonable. He also said that neither Salazar nor her lawyer, Kent Anschutz, objected.

"When you look her background, the circumstances of this case," he said, "a reasonable condition of her probation was that she not conceive or bear any children."

Anschutz said he is considering his options on behalf of Salazar. He described her as concerned about Baird's order.

"Although I fully understand the sentiment and perspective of the judge in this matter, I question the enforceability of that particular condition," he said.

I swear to heck I remember reporting a similar story for reason's "Citings" section back in the 20th century about a wicked man ordered to father no more children, but I can't seem to find it. And the story says all the lawyers the reporter talked to "say they are not familiar with any similar orders."

Tip thanks to faithful reader Marissa Stewart.