Wasco and Hood River County DA Sign Pledge to Not Prosecute Abortions
“I felt it was the right thing to do. I hope some of my fellow prosecutors in the gorge will join me.” - Matt Ellis
Wasco County District Attorney Matthew Ellis
By Cole Goodwin
In wake of the Supreme Court’s decision on Friday June 24th, 2022 to overturn Roe v. Wade, eighty-eight elected prosecutors from around the nation, including Wasco and Hood River District Attorney’s Matt Ellis and Carrie Rasmussen committed to not prosecute those who seek, assist in or provide abortions.
Hood River County District Attorney Carrie Rasmussen
In a joint statement organized and released by Miriam Krinsky, Executive Director of Fair and Just Prosecution, DA’s and Attorney Generals from across the nation called criminalizing and prosecuting individuals who seek or provide abortion care “a mockery of justice.”
“These elected prosecutors – collectively representing over 89 million people from 29 states and territories and the District of Columbia, including over 27 million from 12 states where abortion is now banned or likely to be banned – argue in a joint statement that using limited criminal justice resources to prosecute personal healthcare decisions runs counter to their obligation to pursue justice and promote public safety,” read the press release from Fair and Just Prosectution.
“I am signing this statement to assure the women of Wasco Co that they can make their own medical decisions without fear of a criminal prosecution,” said Ellis. “Fortunately, in Oregon, the right to have an abortion will remain protected for the foreseeable future. I commend my brave colleagues in places such as Texas and Georgia for making a stand by publicly stating that abortions will not be prosecuted in their respective jurisdictions. I encourage other prosecutors in our region to join Ms. Rasmussen and me in pledging to not prosecute any law that would criminalize women seeking an abortion or those providing abortion services."
“Today’s Supreme Court decision is a jarring betrayal of generations of Americans who have come of age with the right to make decisions about their own bodies,” said Krinsky.
The statement points to multiple reasons why prosecutors are pledging not to prosecute abortions:
“Enforcing abortion bans runs counter to the obligations and interests we are sworn to uphold. It will erode trust in the legal system, hinder our ability to hold perpetrators accountable, take resources away from the enforcement of serious crime, and inevitably lead to the retraumatization and criminalization of victims of sexual violence…
Criminalizing abortion will not end abortion; it will simply end safe abortions, forcing the most vulnerable among us — as well as medical providers — to make impossible decisions.”
The statement points to data and research which supports the fact that abortion bans will disproportionately harm victims of sexual abuse, rape, incest, human trafficking, and domestic violence.
“Laws that revictimize and retraumatize victims go against our obligation as prosecutors to protect and seek justice on behalf of all members of our community, including those who are often the most vulnerable and least empowered. Our obligation to exercise our discretion wisely requires us to focus prosecutorial resources on the child molester or rapist, not on prosecuting the victim or the healthcare professionals who provide that victim with needed care and treatment,” read the statement.
“By cruelly and callously stripping away a 50-year-old fundamental right, a majority of the Court has undermined the legitimacy of the criminal legal system and trust in the rule of law,” said Krinsky. “With many states now seeking to criminalize those who seek, perform and receive abortion care, elected prosecutors are the last line of defense in protecting patients and providers from criminal charges. At this frightening and dark moment, we desperately need the bold leadership demonstrated by these signatories – and hope to see far more prosecutors across the country join this chorus.”
While abortions remain legal in Oregon and Washington, now that Roe V. Wade has been overturned, abortion will likely be banned in at least 26 states. In Texas and Alabama those who perform an abortion could face life sentences in prison. In Oklahoma providing abortions is a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prision with no exceptions for procedures done in the event of rape or incest. And in Missouri, Tennessee, and Utah, abortion bans carry sentences of up to 15 years for providers of abortion care.
"Anyone wanting to request their local elected prosecutor to sign off on the statement can inform the prosecutor to email info@fairandjustprosecution.org,” said Ellis.
The full statement and list of signatories is available here.
