HOUSTON, Texas — A Harris County district court judge sentenced a local attorney to 180 days in jail after he pleaded guilty to sneaking an abortion-causing medicine into his wife’s drinking glass. The wife ended up delivering the child ten weeks early after becoming ill from the drug-induced drinks.
Under a plea agreement made with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, attorney Mason Herring was sentenced to 180 days in jail and ten years of probation, KTRK ABC13 reported. Mason admitted putting a powdered medicine into her drinking water. The drug is used to induce abortions. Mason made several attempts to terminate her pregnancy, the report stated.
Prosecutors filed a first-of-its-kind charge of Felony Assault to Induce Abortion. Title 5 Chapter 22.01 makes is a Class A misdemeanor to assault “a pregnant individual to force the individual to have an abortion.” Under the plea agreement, the charge was downgraded to injury to a child and assault of a pregnant person.
Herring’s estranged wife, Catherine Herring, spoke to the court during the sentencing hearing. ABC13 reported the woman told the court, “I do not believe that 180 days is justice for attempting to kill your child seven separate times. For two years, my husband has overly denied this assault, and I’m grateful today that he has finally admitted to his guilt.”
She then turned to Herring and added, “”I watched in real-time as darkness overcame you. As addictions became your priority.”
She also told the court her husband cut her and her three children off financially.
Court records reviewed by Breitbart Texas indicate Herring used a drug called Misoprostol. The drug is frequently used to induce an abortion. Prosecutors stated that Herring put the powder into drinks and served them to his wife without her knowledge.
Herring hired criminal defense attorneys Dan Cogdell and Nicholas Norris.