Teen who hired man to beat her to induce miscarriage may face criminal charges

(CBS/AP) SALT LAKE CITY - The Utah Supreme Court has reversed a district court's dismissal of a 2009 case against a pregnant teen charged for hiring a man to beat her in an effort to induce miscarriage.

The Salt Lake Tribune reports that the court ruled that the state judge incorrectly interpreted state law when deciding the girl could not be held criminally responsible for essentially seeking an abortion.

Court records show the pregnant girl paid a man $150 to beat her in hopes of prompting a miscarriage after her boyfriend threatened a break up if she didn't get rid of the child.

The records say the man attacked her, leaving bruises on her stomach and a bite mark on her neck. The baby survived the beating and was later adopted.

Attorney Richard King argued the girl was within her rights when she hired 21-year-old Aaron Harrison to beat her up so she would miscarry.

"Any abortion is an assault on a fetus," King said, adding that Utah law at the time of the incident didn't specify what types of abortion procedures were not allowed, meaning the girl could not be held accountable.

In June 2009, the girl pleaded no contest to a second-degree felony count of criminal solicitation to commit murder.

Harrison, the man the teen hired, pleaded guilty to second-degree felony attempted murder and was sentenced to up to five years in jail.