Abstract:
Early in 1989, prosecutors in Florida charged a woman with child abuse after she gave birth to her second baby born with signs of cocaine dependency. This case briefly summarizes the problem of cocaine use, the effects of prenatal exposure, and the legal issues surrounding the Florida prosecution.
Learning Objective:
The case can be used to raise a variety of issues, such as the frequency with which disputes about policy are often thinly disguised, disputes about objectives and basic values, and the circumstances under which the state is justified in coercing the behavior of individuals.