Carter v. United States

How later courts describe this case

• holding that woman could be prosecuted for endangering fetus by prenatal substance abuse
• holding a woman may be prosecuted for child neglect and endangering a child for prenatal substance abuse
• there is a basic presumption the legislature has knowledge of judicial decisions construing legislation when later statutes are enacted concerning related subjects
• ineffective assistance when trial counsel did “virtually nothing” to obtain psychiatrist witness until a few days before trial and then did “practically nothing” to prepare the witness
• there is a basic presumption the legislature has knowledge of previous legislation as well as of judicial decisions construing that legislation when later statutes are enacted concerning related subjects