Editing Infanticide (section)

==== State legislation ====

In 2009, [[Texas]] state representative [[Jessica Farrar]] proposed legislation that would define infanticide as a distinct and lesser crime than [[homicide]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/032209dnmetinfanticide.3030173.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100417132305/http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/032209dnmetinfanticide.3030173.html|title=Proposed Texas House bill would recognize postpartum psychosis as a defense for moms who kill infants|archive-date=April 17, 2010}}</ref> Under the terms of the proposed legislation, if jurors concluded that a mother's "judgment was impaired as a result of the effects of giving birth or the effects of lactation following the birth," they would be allowed to convict her of the crime of infanticide, rather than murder.<ref name="When Infanticide Isn't Murder">{{cite news |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jacob-m-appel/when-infanticide-isnt-mur_b_279703.html |title=When Infanticide Isn't Murder |publisher=Huffingtonpost.com |access-date=2013-07-18 |date=8 September 2009 |archive-date=12 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170312074814/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jacob-m-appel/when-infanticide-isnt-mur_b_279703.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The maximum penalty for infanticide would be two years in prison.<ref name="When Infanticide Isn't Murder"/> Farrar's introduction of this bill prompted liberal bioethics scholar [[Jacob M. Appel]] to call her "the bravest politician in America".<ref name="When Infanticide Isn't Murder"/>