Mental evaluation will be sought in home abortion case

Jan 11, 2016 at 08:48 am by bryan


Public Defender Gerald Melton is preparing to request a mental evaluation for a woman accused of trying to perform a home abortion at six months with a coat hanger.

Anna Yocca, 31, of Murfreesboro is charged with attempted first-degree murder and is being held on $200,000 bond.

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Due to the "serious nature" of the case, Melton said, he asked Circuit Court Judge Royce Taylor this week for more time to review evidence in the matter. Based on the defendant's past, the public defender also said he plans to seek an evaluation of her.

"There is some history of documented mental health treatment," Melton said.

Taylor scheduled a Feb. 29 hearing when the case will be reviewed and preliminary motions filed.

More than a dozen members of an abortion rights group with members from as far away as New York showed up to support Yocca on Dec. 22 when she was arraigned by video from the county jail. When asked by Judge Taylor whether she understood the charge, Yocca said, "Vaguely."

Taylor appointed Melton to represent her.

Wearing T-shirts emblazoned with the words, "Abortion on demand and without apology," the members of Stop Patriarchy, some from as far away as New York, said she shouldn't be charged at all. They stood and raised their fists as they left the courtroom, then chanted, "Free Anna Yocca! Free Anna Yocca!"

Yocca was arrested in early December 2015 at Juvenile Court by Detective Tommy Roberts after the December session of the Rutherford County grand jury issued an indictment for the Amazon fulfillment center employee.

Source:

The Murfreesboro Post, Sam Stockard
Read more here - Murfreesboro Post

The past news story:

A Murfreesboro woman has been charged with "Attempted First Degree Murder" after she allegedly tried to abort her own baby. The incident was said to have taken place in a bathtub filled with warm water.

31-Year old Anna Yocca was indicted by the December Grand Jury on the charge. She was said to be 24-weeks pregnant when she reportedly attempted to abort the child with a coat hanger.

The young baby was saved by doctors after she was taken to the hospital by her boyfriend, but will apparently have a lifetime of medical problems due to damage caused to the child's eyes and lungs. The baby weighed less than two pounds when born.

At this point Yocca remains behind bars at the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center in Murfreesboro.

More details:

31-Year old Yocca was taken to St. Thomas Rutherford Medical Center in Murfreesboro by her boyfriend after she became alarmed at the amount of blood in the bathtub. Doctors later transferred Yocca to St. Thomas Mid-Town in Nashville where she could receive more extensive treatment, which is where the 1.5 lb. baby was saved.

Several nurses and doctors told Murfreesboro detectives that Yocca made disturbing statements regarding Baby Yocca and wanting to terminate the pregnancy. Doctors indicated the quality of life for the newborn would be forever harmed. The medical staff said that the child has medical issues with his lungs, eyes and heart due to damage caused by Yocca with the coat hanger.

Source:

MPD ARREST REPORT #15-19815

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