Case Citation
Legal Case Name

Bei Bei Shuai v. State Case Brief

Indiana Court of Appeals2012Docket #117289
966 N.E.2d 619 2012 WL 394030 Criminal Law Constitutional Law Family Law

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Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis

General Brief
4 min read

tl;dr: A pregnant woman attempted suicide by ingesting poison. Her baby was born alive but died days later from the poison’s effects. The court held that she could be prosecuted for murder and feticide, finding the statutes’ plain language applied to a mother’s actions against her own fetus.

Legal Significance: In a case of first impression, the court held that Indiana’s murder and feticide statutes are not limited to third-party actors and can be used to prosecute a pregnant woman for conduct that causes the death of her viable fetus, even if death occurs after a live birth.

Bei Bei Shuai v. State Law School Study Guide

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Case Facts & Court Holding

Key Facts & Case Background

Bei Bei Shuai, at thirty-three weeks of pregnancy, ingested rat poison in a suicide attempt after her partner ended their relationship. In a note, she wrote she was “taking this baby… with [her].” Friends took Shuai to a hospital, where she and the fetus were stabilized. Eight days later, due to fetal distress, doctors performed an emergency caesarean section, and Shuai gave birth to a live infant, A.S. The infant suffered a severe intracerebral hemorrhage, a condition consistent with exposure to the anticoagulant in the rat poison. A.S.’s condition deteriorated, and she died three days after birth when life support was withdrawn with Shuai’s consent. The State charged Shuai with murder under Ind. Code § 35-42-1-1(4) for knowingly killing a viable fetus, and with attempted feticide. The trial court denied Shuai’s motion to dismiss the charges, which argued that the statutes did not apply to a pregnant woman’s actions concerning her own fetus. Shuai filed an interlocutory appeal of the denial.

Court Holding & Legal Precedent

Issue: Can Indiana’s murder and feticide statutes, which criminalize the killing of a viable fetus, be applied to a pregnant woman for her own actions that result in the death of her child after it is born alive?

Yes. The denial of the motion to dismiss was affirmed. The court Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis

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IRAC Legal Analysis

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Legal Issue

Can Indiana’s murder and feticide statutes, which criminalize the killing of a viable fetus, be applied to a pregnant woman for her own actions that result in the death of her child after it is born alive?

Conclusion

This case establishes that, absent an explicit legislative exemption, a pregnant woman Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor

Legal Rule

Under Indiana law, a person who "knowingly or intentionally kills a fetus Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commod

Legal Analysis

The court's analysis focused on statutory interpretation. Shuai argued that the murder Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipi

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  • The court reversed the denial of bail, finding the defendant rebutted
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui off

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