A district attorney in Texas was disciplined by the State Bar of Texas after he brought charges against a woman who gave herself an abortion.
Gocha Allen Ramirez, whose counties of jurisdiction include Starr, Duval, and Jim Hogg, allowed Lizelle Herrera to be charged and indicted for murder in April 2022 over a “self-induced abortion,” as reported by KRGV.
Herrera was jailed on a $500,000 bond. However, Ramirez dismissed the charges two days later.
A grievance committee ruled his initial decision was an example of professional misconduct in violation of the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct.
“Assistant District Attorneys under [Ramirez]’s supervision sought to pursue criminal homicide charges against an individual for acts clearly not criminal pursuant to Texas Penal Code § 19.06,” the committee wrote.
The decision ruled Ramirez must pay a fine of $1,250. His law license is under probated suspension from April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025. The suspension still allows Ramirez to practice law.
Ramirez’s initial decision countered the Texas Penal Code, which provides an exemption to homicides for “conduct committed by the mother of the unborn child.”
The grievance committee found Ramirez violated another aspect of the Texas Penal Code through a “false statement” amid the disciplinary process. Two additional violations purportedly place him responsible for the charges brought against the woman.
Ramirez did not face a primary challenger this year.
“We continue to do the good work we’ve been doing, obviously with the exception of this mistake, it doesn’t change my standing with the law,” Ramirez told KRGV. “Basically, we’ll just continue to do the work that we’re tasked with, which is to protect the community.”
