Middlesex DA Won't Criminalize Abortion If Roe V. Wade Overturned

Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan is among five elected prosecutors in Massachusetts who have joined a nationwide pledge not to criminalize abortion. The pledge comes amid confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett, whose addition to the Court has Democrats concerned over the future of Roe v. Wade.

"Recent years have seen the passage of laws across the nation imposing broad restrictions on abortion," the pledge states. "Many of these new enactments are ambiguous or silent as to whom they would hold criminally responsible, leaving open the potential for criminalizing patients, medical professionals, healthcare providers, and possibly others who assist in these medical procedures."

Prosecutors say they would not punish women who get abortions or health care professionals who provide treatment, even if the protections of Roe v. Wade were "eroded or overturned." In addition to Ryan, Attorney General Maura Healey, Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins, Berkshire County District Attorney Andrea Harrington and Northwestern District Attorney David E. Sullivan signed onto the pledge.

"To fulfill our obligations as prosecutors and ministers of justice to preserve the integrity of the system and keep our communities safe and healthy, it is imperative that we use our discretion to decline to prosecute personal healthcare choices criminalized under such laws," the pledge continues.

Barrett has not said during her confirmation hearings how she would rule on abortion, though Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham touted her as "unashamedly pro-life."