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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Utah residents responding to a survey were evenly split over whether Melissa Ann Rowland should be prosecuted for murder for allegedly not agreeing to a C-section until it was too late and one of her twins was delivered stillborn.
Women and Republicans were more likely to support the prosecution, the poll found.
The survey of 612 residents was conducted March 17-20 by Dan Jones & Associates for KSL-TV and the Deseret Morning News, which reported the results in a copyright story Monday. The margin of error was plus or minus 4 percent.
The Salt Lake County district attorney has charged the 28-year-old woman with first-degree felony murder for not agreeing earlier to the C-section. The case has drawn national attention, with critics contending it is an attempt to raise fetal rights over those of the woman.
The poll found 39 percent favored prosecution and 40 percent opposed.
Prosecution was favored by 29 percent of men and 28 percent of Democrats, while 48 percent of women and 44 percent of Republicans supported it.
It was opposed by 47 percent of men, 34 percent of women and Republicans and 52 percent of Democrats.
Independents were divided 38 percent in favor of prosecution and 44 percent against.
Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were more likely to support Rowland's prosecution than to oppose it, 45 percent to 34 percent.
(Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
