New York's highest court has rejected the manslaughter conviction of a woman who was pregnant when she crashed her car and whose baby was delivered by emergency surgery but died days later.
Jennifer Jorgensen, of Long Island, was acquitted of manslaughter in the deaths of a couple in the 2008 head-on crash but found guilty of recklessly causing her daughter's death.
The Court of Appeals announced its 5-1 ruling Thursday. It says the state Legislature didn't intend to hold a pregnant woman responsible for such harmful conduct to themselves or their unborn fetuses unless it's intentional.
Her conviction was under the manslaughter statute for "recklessly" causing the death of another person.
Jorgensen had been sentenced to three to nine years in prison, which was stayed pending her appeal.
