Lizelle Herrera was arrested and detained in a county jail after a self-induced abortion, but her charges have been dropped after she was released on bond.
Following a recent 2021 abortion ban in Texas, Lizelle Herrera was arrested on a murder charge after being accused of “self-induced abortion,” and taken into custody, according to a statement from the Sheriff’s Maj. Carlos Delgado.
Herrera, 26, was held in Starr County Jail before she was released on a $500,000 bond and the charges were ultimately dropped, according to a statement from District Attorney Gocha Allen Ramirez.
Lynn Paltrow, the executive director of National Advocates for Pregnant Women noted the state law exemption, according to the Associated Press.
“What’s a little mysterious in this case is, what crime has this woman been charged with?” Paltrow said to the outlet.
“There is no statute in Texas that, even on its face, authorizes the arrest of a woman for a self-managed abortion.”
Ramirez’s statement included that "Ms. Herrera did not commit a criminal act under the laws of the State of Texas" and said, "the events leading up to this indictment have taken a toll on Ms. Herrera and her family."
According to the statement, "Prosecutorial discretion rests with the District Attorney's office, and in the State of Texas a prosecutor's oath is to do justice,"
"Following that oath, the only correct outcome to this matter is to immediately dismiss the indictment against Ms. Herrera."
According to the AP, the situation is still under investigation.
