Criminalizing Reproduction: Attacks on science, medicine and the right to choose: Jessica Valenti writes in her substack, 'Abortion, Every Day,' that a report by the Sacramento County Grand Jury found that drivers in the state probably don't realize that their cars "are being tracked by an intricate network of stationary and mobile cameras. (A report that is part of a broader fight over automated license plate recognition systems (ALPRs) that collect drivers' information.)…"How does this relate to abortion rights? Well, as you know if you've been reading the newsletter for a while, some counties share this ALPR data with law enforcement agencies in other states—including states that criminalize abortion. I'm sure you can imagine why this would be such a problem."

PUBLISHER'S NOTE:  In recent years, I have taken on the  theme of criminalizing reproduction - a natural theme for a Blog concerned with  flawed science in its myriad forms  - as I am utterly opposed to the current movement in the United States (and some other countries) emboldened by the overturning of Roe Versus Wade,  towards imprisoning women and their physicians and others who help them secure a safe abortion,  on the basis of sham science (or any other basis). I can’t remember the source, but agree  totally with the sentiment that control over their reproductive lives is far too important to women in America - or anywhere else -  so they can  participate  equally in the economic and social life of their nations without fear for  loss their freedom at the hands of political opportunists and fanatics. (Far too many of those those around these days.) 

Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog.

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PASSAGE OF THE DAY: "While California Attorney General Rob Bonta has issued guidance prohibiting the sharing of this information, civil liberties groups like the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) have pointed out that cops keep doing it regardless. And despite indignant statements from the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office claiming that they're not doing anything illegal or immoral, this grand jury report found that by sharing data with anti-choice states, the sheriff's office and the Sacramento Police Department "unreasonably risked the aiding of potential prosecution by the home-state of women who traveled to California to seek or receive healthcare services."

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COMMENTARY: Jessica Valenti: "'CA cops are sharing license plate info with anti-choice states' July 4, 2024. (n her substack  'Abortion, Every Day,' published on June 17, 2024. This well -researched authoritative post focusses on ''All |Things, Abortion, feminist commentary and community.)

 GIST: Finally, some abortion-privacy news from California: A report  by the Sacramento County Grand Jury found that drivers in the state probably don't realize that their cars "are being tracked by an intricate network of stationary and mobile cameras." The report is part of a broader fight over automated license plate recognition systems (ALPRs) that collect drivers' information.

How does this relate to abortion rights? Well, as you know if you've been reading the newsletter for a while, some counties share this ALPR data with law enforcement agencies in other states—including states that criminalize abortion. I'm sure you can imagine why this would be such a problem.

While California Attorney General Rob Bonta has issued guidance prohibiting the sharing of this information, civil liberties groups like the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) have pointed out that cops keep doing it regardless.

And despite indignant statements from the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office claiming that they're not doing anything illegal or immoral, this grand jury report found that by sharing data with anti-choice states, the sheriff's office and the Sacramento Police Department "unreasonably risked the aiding of potential prosecution by the home-state of women who traveled to California to seek or receive healthcare services."

Just a reminder that living in a state where abortion is legal doesn't mean that abortion patients are necessarily protected."

The entire commentary can be read at: 

https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/120008354894645705/7886166682884625755

PUBLISHER'S NOTE:  I am monitoring this case/issue/resource. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments. The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic"  section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at: http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith. Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at: http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com.  Harold Levy: Publisher: The Charles Smith Blog.

SEE BREAKDOWN OF  SOME OF THE ON-GOING INTERNATIONAL CASES (OUTSIDE OF THE CONTINENTAL USA) THAT I AM FOLLOWING ON THIS BLOG,  AT THE LINK BELOW:  HL:

https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/120008354894645705/4704913685758792985

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FINAL WORD:  (Applicable to all of our wrongful conviction cases):  "Whenever there is a wrongful conviction, it exposes errors in our criminal legal system, and we hope that this case — and lessons from it — can prevent future injustices."

Lawyer Radha Natarajan:

Executive Director: New England Innocence Project;

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FINAL, FINAL WORD: "Since its inception, the Innocence Project has pushed the criminal legal system to confront and correct the laws and policies that cause and contribute to wrongful convictions.   They never shied away from the hard cases — the ones involving eyewitness identifications, confessions, and bite marks. Instead, in the course of presenting scientific evidence of innocence, they've exposed the unreliability of evidence that was, for centuries, deemed untouchable." So true!

Christina Swarns: Executive Director: The Innocence Project;