The District Attorney confirmed this view. in the text he sent next day to a friend. “I’m sorry,” he wrote. in a post that was reviewed by The Washington Post. “I assure you, I never meant to offend this young lady.”
Ramirez moved to drop all charges on Sunday. He did not respond to inquiries for commentlike Herrera. Villarreal declined to comment some times.
Abortion rights advocates in Texas and across the country captured on Herrera arrest soon after she was taken into custody on Thursday, concerned that it may be associated with new A Texas law that bans most abortions and, worse, points to ominous future in which women attempting to terminate a pregnancy are treated as criminals.
However, the interview with some people in South Texas community closely follow the situation, as well as the statements of the leaders in anti-abortion movements in Texas suggest that it was not part of of broader opposition to abortion strategy instead hasty error on first-term Democratic District Attorney.
However, Herrera arrest can ignite growing state after state fight over abortion. battle intensified leading up to the Supreme Court decision this summer, which could overturn or significantly weaken Rowe vs. Wadehistorical precedent that defended the right to abortion for almost 50 years. After the District Attorney’s allegation that it was the hospital that reported Herrera to law enforcement, her case drawn acute concerns from abortion rights activists, who worry about that potential patient privacy breaches can cause more fear in women seeking access to legal abortion.
“There is already such great degree of mistrust and fear of abortion”, especially in Texas, said Blair Cushing, an abortion provider. in South Texas.
Texas law expressly exempts a woman from criminal murder charge for terminating her pregnancy. While many of specificity of Herrera case remain it is unclear, she was condemned even by staunch opponents of abortion arrest. texas Right to Life, organization who helped draft the Texas abortion ban, said her indictment came as a surprise.
“The Texas Heartbeat Law and Other Life Protection Measures in the state expressly forbids criminal accusations for pregnant womensaid John Seago, the group’s legislative director, referring to a Texas law that allows private citizens to sue anyone who helps facilitate abortion after six weeks of pregnancy. Texas Right to Life opposes public prosecutors going outside of borders of A sensible and carefully considered Texas policy.”
Cushing said she sees patients every day. who buy pills in Mexico for medical abortion – two-step procedure involving mifepristone and misoprostol – then come to her clinic for examination-up. Hearing that a woman in them region was accused with murder for abortion, Cushing said she expects patients may try to cover up details of their situation — or they may not come to it at all.
In a statement released on Sunday, Ramirez acknowledged that events around the incident clearly “damaged” on Herrera and her family.
“Ignore it fact will be short-sighted,” he said.
The hospital took note of the case of sheriff office, according to Ramirez. Rene “Horta” Fuentes, 61 who became sheriff in 2008, after nearly three decades in department did not respond to inquiry for comment.
Ross Barrera, community organizer and former chairman of Starr County GOP says abortion is rarely discussed in public forums in a strongly Democratic county. He described Ramirez as “an ardent Democrat” and said that he simply made oversight in Herrera case.
“I think that his office just failed in do their work- he said. – I would put my hand on Bible and say it was not a political statement.”
Ramírez provided broad support of Democratic candidates. He supported the Democratic presidential candidate. ticket in 2020 on social media. He promoted Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke. last yearDemocratic gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis in 2014 and before Democrat Barack Obama first presidential campaign in 2008 according to state and federal data campaign records.
Starr County, in a heart of Texas’s Rio Grande Valley, predominantly populated by Hispanics, is mostly rural. region dotted with small cities. Inhabitants of Rio Grande City, the county seat buy their products in one HEB supermarket. People either gather in churches or in their yards for grilled meat, according to a friend with situation with Herrera. Since Panda Express had recently opened, this person added that it was “everything in vogue”.
Till people in Starr County generally vote for democrats up and down in ticketmany socially conservativeespecially when it comes to abortion. region saturated with staunch Catholics who still raising an eyebrow to discuss who got pregnant”out of marriage,” said a man who knew with situation.
Little is known about Herrera.year- elderly woman in the center of the incident that drawn national Attention. She was released from custody after the mobilization of abortion rights groups led by women of Colour.
Her husband, Ismael Herrera, filed for divorce on April 7, the same day as her arrest, according to court documents. They are married in 2015 when she was 19 and stopped living together on on or about January 1, according to records. The divorce occurred less than a week before the described “spontaneous abortion”. in her accusation. The couple reportedly have two sons.
Advocate who petitioned, Judith Solis, did not respond to inquiries for comment.
Ismael Herrera also unable to contact The Post. He spoke briefly in Spanish reporter for local television on On Monday, saying: “Look, I have no words. … This was son. Boy.”
Ramirez, 68-year- the old district attorney, won Democratic primaries in 2020 and not face republican challenger in in general elections. Lot of his campaign concentrated on child protection. April 1 one a week before Herrera’s arrest office posted message on Facebook Declares April Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Month in 229th judicial district.
Within the legal community in Starr County, Ramirez decision filing a case is considered by many to be “gross negligence,” the lawyer said in in community, who like other respondents for this story was talking on condition of anonymity for frank discussion of sensitive topics.
When Abner Burnett, one of Starr County public defenders, first heard of arreston was confused about what the statute of the district attorney office possibly using because the Texas Penal Code explicitly exempts a pregnant woman from this kind of of murder charge.
“AT first I thought maybe someone slipped new tired of me and they tried it outBurnett said.
Lawyers in in national right to abortion community hastened to offer financial and legal support to Herrera over weekend, according to a friend with situation. But Herrera and her family decided to keep Villarreal, 54-year- an old famous lawyer for quoting Scripture.
His law firm website describes it as “Christian organization who believes in teachings of Lords and the Influence Only Jesus Christ Can Have on faces. website adds: “With this in mind, our intention is to use our wisdom and experience which the Lord has provided to serve our clients with maximum respect and care. We are honored to serve our customers, for it is service to God.”
AT small law community where is the most of lawyers know one other, court records show 19 federal cases in whom Villarreal and Ramirez represented as co-defendants. Villarreal publicly announced his support for Ramirez in two posts on facebook leading up to his election in March 2020.
“They are friends,” said a person close to the situation. “They are coming way back”.
Many abortion rights advocates across the country called for for lawsuit against Ramirez and others responsible for Herrera arrest. Local Practitioners in Starr County has also signaled their support for legal action.
If Burnett, public protector, was in Villarreal’s position, he said, will sue the county for what did he do with Herrera”in minute.”
“His wrong is not just that they arrested her and charged her with a crime who were not, they also put it on display of public light something she didn’t deserve,” Burnett said. “They are should Was way more carefully before they did.”
As soon how Cushing, the abortion provider, heard news about Herrera, she said she immediately thought of in women she sees in Valley of the Rio Grande.
When her patients go to Mexico for abortion pills, they are often given incorrect instructions on how take them, Cushing said. Sometimes false mode will fail terminate the pregnancy, she said, and sometimes that can put a patient’s health in risk.
Cushing worked hard to earn the trust of these patients, she said. Now, she’ll have to add work Even harder.
Nate Jones contributed to this report.
