Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
VERNAL, Utah (AP) -- A state court judge has dismissed the charge against a Utah teenager who had pleaded no contest to hiring a man to beat her in an effort to induce a miscarriage.
Last month the girl was released from detention and her plea was withdrawn after 8th District Juvenile Court Judge Larry Steele ruled that she was seeking an abortion and was not criminally liable.
On Friday Steele dismissed the charge against the Uintah County girl, who has not been identified because she was 17.
The girl had pleaded no contest in June to a second-degree felony count of criminal solicitation to commit murder.
Prosecutors said the girl paid a man $150 to beat her after her boyfriend threatened a breakup if she didn't get rid of the child. The baby survived the beating and was born in mid-August. It is living with foster parents.
------
Information from: The Salt Lake Tribune
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
