An Alabama prosecutor dropped manslaughter charges Wednesday against a woman who police say started a fight that ended in the death of her unborn child.
Jefferson County Bessemer Cutoff District Attorney Lynniece Washington said she plans to dismiss the case against Marshae Jones, 28, and will not pursue further charges against her.
“After reviewing the facts of this case and the applicable state law, I have determined that it is not in the best interest of justice to pursue prosecution of Ms. Jones on the misdemeanor charge for which she was indicted by the grand jury,” Washington said at a news conference, according to ABC News.
“Therefore, I am hereby dismissing this case and no further legal action will be taken against Ms. Jones in this matter,” she added.
BREAKING: An Alabama prosecutor announces that she will not pursue a manslaughter indictment against a woman who lost her pregnancy after she got into a fight and was shot in the stomach. https://t.co/pNoUY4FkRc
— ABC News (@ABC) July 3, 2019
Jones was shot in the stomach on Dec. 4, 2018, outside an Alabama Dollar General.
Jones was five months pregnant at the time of the shooting and was taken to UAB Hospital. Her unborn baby did not survive. (RELATED: Police Charge Alabama Woman With Manslaughter For Starting Fight That Killed Her Unborn Child)
Authorities initially charged Ebony Jemison, 23, with manslaughter. However, a grand jury did not indict her and police dropped the charges. Authorities incarcerated Jones in Jefferson County Jail on a $50,000 bond on June 26 and released her on June 27, according to AL.com.
Jones initiated the fight with Jemison over Jones’ unborn baby’s father, police allege. Jemison was defending herself when she shot Jones, a grand jury determined.
Pleasant Grove Police Lt. Danny Reid said the unborn baby relied on his or her mother for protection and that the mother “shouldn’t seek out unnecessary physical altercations.”
“The investigation showed that the only true victim in this was the unborn baby,” Reid said in December 2018. “It was the mother of the child who initiated and continued the fight, which resulted in the death of her own unborn baby.”
The news comes after Jones’ attorney filed a motion Monday with the Jefferson County Circuit Court asking that the manslaughter charge be dismissed.
“We are pleased with the District Attorney’s decision to dismiss the charges against Marshae Jones. It is the appropriate decision, both for our client and for the State of Alabama,” a statement from Jones’ attorneys from White Arnold & Dowd in Birmingham, Alabama, said according to ABC.
“This is the outcome we sought this week in our motion to dismiss,” the attorneys said. “We are gratified the District Attorney evaluated the matter and chose not to proceed with a case that was neither reasonable nor just.”
The attorneys added in the statement the decision will help Jones to heal from the “tragic event” and “rebuild her life in a positive and productive way.”
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