I’m sure it is a scary situation to be in college and find out you are going to become a parent. The reaction of one college student when he found out about his girlfriend’s unplanned pregnancy landed him with serious criminal charges. According to the news report, the man had been with his girlfriend overnight and as she was leaving, he suggested she take a bottle of water. She did, and after drinking some of the water her throat began to burn and she vomited. She called 911 and was treated for drinking bleach. Her boyfriend admitted to putting bleach in the water bottle because he did not want the child. If this had occurred in Fort Collins, Loveland, and Estes Park, Murder or Attempted Murder would not be charged for the attempt on the baby’s life, as, under law, an unborn child is not considered a person, but Unlawful Termination of Pregnancy charges would apply.
Larimer County Unlawful Termination of Pregnancy Attorney: What is the Definition of this Crime?
According to C.R.S. 18-3.5-101 – Unlawful Termination of Pregnancy – is:
There are four degrees of Unlawful Termination of Pregnancy:
| Degree | Explanation | Felony Level |
| 1st Degree Unlawful Termination of Pregnancy | * A person unlawfully intends to terminate a woman’s pregnancy and does in fact unlawfully terminate the pregnancy | * Class 3 felony
* Class 2 felony is the woman dies as a result of the unlawful termination of a pregnancy |
| 2nd Degree Unlawful Termination of Pregnancy | * A person knowingly causes the unlawful termination of the pregnancy of a woman | *Class 4 felony
*Class 5 felony if performed upon sudden heat of passion |
| 3rd Degree Unlawful Termination of Pregnancy | * A person knowingly engages in conduct that creates grave risk of death to another person – causing the unlawful termination of the pregnancy of a woman | *Class 5 felony |
| 4th Degree Unlawful Termination of Pregnancy | * A person recklessly causes the unlawful termination of the pregnancy of a woman | *Class 6 felony |
Thankfully, in the story above, the man’s actions did not actually cause the pregnancy to be terminated, meaning if this had occurred in Larimer, Boulder, or Grand County, he would probably be facing Attempted 1st Degree Unlawful Termination of Pregnancy, a class 4 felony. It makes me curious why he thought her drinking bleach would just terminate the pregnancy and not harm his girlfriend as well. He could be facing Attempted Murder charges for his actions, as they could have been harmful or deadly to the girlfriend.