Nebraska Mother Faces Two Years of Imprisonment Afrer Giving 17-Year-Old Daughter An Abortion Pills

Jessica Burgess, a Nebraska mother, has received a two-year prison sentence for her role in her 17-year-old daughter’s illegal abortion and disposal of the fetus. She pleaded guilty to tampering with human remains, false reporting, and providing an abortion after 20 weeks of gestation to her 17-year-old daughter, which is illegal in Nebraska. The judge imposed concurrent one-year prison sentences for the first two charges, followed by an additional year for the abortion count, totaling a two-year sentence.

Nebraska Mother Faced Two Years of Imprisonment Afrer Her Involvement in Her 17-Year-Old Daughter’s Illegal Abortion. (Photo: The Today Show)

After Giving 17-Year-Old Daughter an Abortion Pills, A Nebraska Mom Was Sentenced With 2 Years Imprisonment 

According to Daily Mail report, a Nebraska mother, Jessica Burgess, has been sentenced to two years in prison for her involvement in her 17-year-old daughter’s abortion and the disposal of the fetus. Burgess pleaded guilty in July to tampering with human remains, false reporting, and providing an abortion after at least 20 weeks of gestation to her 17-year-old daughter, which is illegal in Nebraska.

In relation to her involvement in her 17-year-old daughter’s illegal abortion, the Madison County District Judge, Mark Johnson, handed down a one-year prison sentence for each count, with the first two to run concurrently. The sentence for the abortion count will follow the first two, resulting in a two-year sentence.

Burgess’s attorney sought probation, but the judge rejected the request, citing her initial lies to investigators and her unconventional method of obtaining abortion pills online. The judge expressed dismay at the lack of respect shown to the fetus during its disposal, emphasizing societal expectations for more dignified treatment.

Meanwhile, her daughter, Celeste Burgess, 19, was sentenced to 90 days in jail and two years of probation for burying the fetus. Both mother and daughter were emotional as Jessica began serving her sentence, with eligibility for release in about a year.

Read Also: Murderer Suspect Kevin Mason, Accidentally Released Due To Clerical Error; US Marshals Offer $10,000 Reward For Information Leading To The Suspect’s Capture

Legal and Legislative Implications of the Norfolk Abortion Case Involving a 17-Year-Old Daughter

According to AP News, the Norfolk abortion case involving a 17-year-old daughter has raised significant legal and legislative questions in Nebraska. The abortion, which took place well into the teen’s third trimester, violated Nebraska law at the time, which banned abortion after 20 weeks of gestation. Jessica Burgess, the mother, ordered abortion pills online and provided them to her 17-year-old daughter in the spring of 2022, leading to a police investigation following a tip.

During the legislative session that ended in June, Nebraska lawmakers who opposed abortion restrictions cited the Norfolk case, arguing that it demonstrated the state’s willingness to prosecute women seeking abortions. Despite failing to pass a six-week abortion ban, Republicans later succeeded in passing a 12-week ban as an amendment to a bill restricting gender-affirming care for transgender youth.

These legislative actions, coupled with the sentences in the Norfolk case, occurred after the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, which had established a constitutional right to abortion for 50 years. The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit against the abortion ban and transgender care bill, citing a Nebraska constitutional requirement for legislative bills to stick to a single subject.

Read Also: Criminal Charges In Flint Water Crisis Case Against 7 Key Figures Dismissed By Michigan Supreme Court