Why Was a Georgia Woman Jailed After Suffering a Miscarriage?

On March 20, a young woman suffered a miscarriage in Georgia.

Selena Chandler-Scott, 24, was treated by paramedics after losing her baby in Tifton.

On March 21, officers with the Tifton Police Department arrested Chandler-Scott and initially charged her with one count of concealing the death of another person and one count of throwing away or abandonment of a dead body.

The TPD said in a news release that she would remain in the custody of the Tift County Sheriff’s Office pending her first court appearance.

But Chandler-Scott never went to court. On April 4, Tift County District Attorney Patrick Warren later announced that the charges were dropped.

Warren said in a news release that he made this decision following a review of the TPD’s investigative file and an autopsy report from the medical examiner, as well as any relevant Georgia statutes and case law.

“After thorough examination of the facts and law, my office has determined that continuing prosecution is not legally sustainable and not in the interest of justice,” Warren explained. “This case is heartbreaking and emotionally difficult for everyone involved, but our decision must be grounded in law – not emotion or speculation.”

Warren went on to say of the arrest: “While law enforcement acted in good faith and responded to a very difficult and emotional situation, it’s now clear that no criminal law was violated.”

Warren explained that relevant case law in the state requires that the victim be “born and existed separate and independent of its mother” for both charges. He then said that the medical examiner confirmed this was not the case when she determined that Chandler-Scott had a “natural miscarriage,” according to the release.

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If the fetus exhibited any signs of life outside the womb, charges could possibly be filed in the state of Georgia under House Bill 481, which states that “no abortion is authorized or shall be performed if an unborn child has been determined … to have a detectable heartbeat.” That same bill later says that “as early as six weeks’ gestation, an unborn child may have a detectable human heartbeat.”

Police investigated Chandler-Scott because she was 19 weeks into her pregnancy when she suffered her miscarriage.

The TPD said in a news release at the time of the arrest that first responders were called to an apartment complex on the morning of March 20 to treat a woman who had been discovered passed out and bleeding. That woman was later identified by police as Chandler-Scott, according to the release.

“During the response, a witness reported that the mother had earlier placed the fetus in a bag and placed that bag in a dumpster outside,” the release says. “Tifton Police responded to the scene and recovered the deceased fetus. The remains were sent for an autopsy to determine the cause of death.”

The TPD announced an investigation was underway at that time, and the following day, police announced the arrest of Chandler-Scott.

Warren ended his release by saying that the case could possibly be reopened if his office receives any “additional information or incriminating evidence … that is not already in the case file.”

PEOPLE reached out to Chandler-Scott but she did not respond to a request for comment. A GoFundMe created to help her with legal expenses has raised over $23,000.