Drop all charges against Marcene Rebeck

Marcene Rebeck, a Coos County, Oregon direct-entry midwife, preschool teacher, and business owner that has helped families by assisting in home births for over 30 years with the utmost care, professionalism and wisdom, has been indicted on second degree manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide for the death of a baby in June 2011. The baby died from sepsis in a hospital four days after Rebeck assisted in the baby’s birth at home; the family is not seeking prosecution. During the Grand Jury hearing, Coos County District Attorney Paul Frasier failed to provide a complete picture of the events that took place after the baby’s birth in an attempt to slander the good name of Ms. Rebeck. We believe these charges are so completely unjustifiable and the evidence so full of doubt, that this case appears to be motivated by a greater attempt to control the natural process of childbirth and turn it into a commodity. The only acceptable action is to drop all charges against Marcene Rebeck.