Grief, Not Guilt: Nevada Stillbirth Case Exposes Risks of Criminalizing Pregnancy Outcomes

A Nevada mother, Patience Rousseau, spent over two years in prison after a 2018 Facebook post and cop-misinterpreted actions were used to charges of manslaughter in a stillbirth, despite abortion being legal in the state. A 2021 ruling vacated the conviction for ineffective counsel, and she received a $100,000 settlement in 2025; the case underscores a broader trend of prosecutors using broad or old laws to criminalize pregnancy outcomes rather than focusing on the fetus’s harm. It also concerns the mishandling of the baby’s remains and highlights calls for reform and greater support for pregnant people facing loss and poverty.