Page 7 - AT

A7
U.S. NEWS Saturday 12 OctOber 2019

In this May 21, 2019 file photo, people rally in support of abor-
tion rights at the Capitol in Sacramento, Calif.
California to require

abortion medication

at public colleges Ronald Haskell leaves the court during a break in the punishment phase of his capital murder trial
on Monday, Sept. 30, 2019, in Houston.
Associated Press

By KATHLEEN RONAYNE ic Sen. Connie Leyva, the Man sentenced to death for
and ADAM BEAM bill's author.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) Religious and anti-abortion
— California will be the groups opposed the bill, Texas attack that killed 6
first state to require abor- with Live Action President
tion medication on college Lila Rose saying the law
campuses under a law "turns universities into abor- By JUAN A. LOZANO Williford described how ecutors' arguments for a
signed Friday by Demo- tion centers." And Maria Associated Press Haskell shot 4-year-old death sentence is "anger,
cratic Gov. Gavin New- Jose Fernandez, legislative HOUSTON (AP) — A man Zach in the shoulder — an hatred, fear, vengeance
som. advocate for the California who prosecutors say was injury he could have sur- because of this terrible, ter-
The law takes effect in 2023 Catholic Conference, said driven by vengeance when vived — and said the fright- rible crime."
and only applies to the 34 the law is "trying to limit the he fatally shot six members ened child scurried in the Durham said Haskell's long
campuses in the University alternatives for women." of his ex-wife's family in Tex- chaos to his father on a history of mental illness, in
of California and California "We're giving them the op- as, including four children, couch, burying his head in which he was treated by
State University systems. But tion to terminate a life, but was on Friday sentenced his father's shoulder for pro- multiple doctors, should
the law will only be imple- what about those who to death. tection. be considered by the jury
mented if a state commis- want to continue on with Jurors sentenced Ronald But by that point, Zach's fa- as a mitigating factor in
sion can raise more than that pregnancy? Where is Lee Haskell after deliber- ther was already dead, Wil- deciding that life in prison
$10 million in private dona- the help for those women?" ating for little more than liford said. would be a more appropri-
tions to pay for it. Fernandez said. four hours. The jury had "He scrambles over to his ate sentence. His attorneys
Former California Gov. Jerry The medication is an op- to choose between life in father, because that's what said Haskell heard voices
Brown vetoed a similar bill tion for women who are prison without parole or a little boys do," Williford said. that told him to kill his ex-
last year, arguing it was not less than 10 weeks preg- death sentence. Haskell then went over to wife's family.
necessary because abor- nant. The process requires The same jury last month Zach, pointed a gun to Durham urged jurors to
tion services were readily taking two pills. The first pill, convicted Haskell of capi- the back of his head and consider "compassion and
available off campus. taken at the clinics, blocks tal murder in the 2014 kill- pulled the trigger, she said. forgiveness" instead of
But Newsom, who took of- the hormone progester- ings of Stephen and Katie "How cold and vengeful do "hate, anger" when making
fice in January, said the one. The second, taken a Stay at their home in sub- you have to be to take the their decision.
law is needed "as other few days later at home, urban Houston. The jury life of a 4-year-old?" Willi- But prosecutor Lauren Bard
states and the federal gov- has an effect similar to a rejected his attorneys' ef- ford said. told jurors that Haskell's "is-
ernment go backward, re- miscarriage. forts to have him found not Cassidy Stay, now 20, was sue is not his mental illness,
stricting reproductive free- More than 400,000 women guilty by reason of insanity. in court on Friday and cried his issue is his personality,"
dom." attend public universities in Haskell killed the couple when Williford detailed the describing him as a "manip-
Several Republican-led the state. and four of their children killing of her family. At least ulative, selfish, narcissistic,
states, including Georgia, Officials at the University of in the living room of their one juror also wiped away blame-shifting monster."
Kentucky and Mississippi, California and California suburban Houston home in tears. Stay testified at trial Prosecutors said Haskell
have passed laws ban- State University did not take 2014. A fifth child, 15-year- that she begged her uncle had faked symptoms of
ning abortions once a fe- a position on the bill as it old Cassidy Stay, was shot "please don't hurt us" be- mental illness and had me-
tal heartbeat is detected. worked its way through the in the head but she sur- fore Haskell opened fire. ticulously crafted a plan to
Abortion-rights groups are state Legislature. California vived by playing dead. Defense attorneys argued hurt anybody who helped
challenging those laws in State University spokesman During closing arguments hard for a life sentence. his ex-wife, Melannie Lyon,
court. Michael Uhlenkamp said in the punishment phase of Neal Davis III said the after the couple divorced,
"Abortion is a protected the university will comply Haskell's trial earlier Friday, 39-year-old man should traveling from California to
right, and it is important with the law by 2023. prosecutor Kaylynn Williford spend the rest of his life Texas to carry out the kill-
that everyone — including "The university is currently described the terrifying thinking about what he has ings.Prosecutors only need-
college students — have evaluating next steps and scene as Haskell fulfilled his done and "die in prison." ed to charge Haskell with
access to that right, if they will implement the law ac- plan to kill his ex-wife's fam- Doug Durham told jurors two of the deaths to get to
so choose," said Democrat- cordingly," she said.q ily. that at the heart of pros- capital murder. q