She had an illegal abortion in 1970 — and was charged with manslaughter

In 1971, Shirley Wheeler became the first woman to be criminally charged for having an abortion. She was convicted of manslaughter and faced up to 20 years in prison. In the latest season of the podcast Slow Burn, host Susan Matthews explores what happened to Wheeler in the years leading up to the Roe v. Wade decision. Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu spoke with Matthews about Wheeler’s story — and why Wheeler’s case is a warning of what’s to come after the recent overturning of Roe.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Jun 25, 2022

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She had an illegal abortion in 1970 — and was charged with manslaughter

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