Embryos ARE People... Sometimes

According to FoxNews.Com, an Illinois state judge has ruled that the parents of an improperly-discarded frozen embryo can pursue a wrongful-death case against the institution that discarded the embryo. It is the first time that a judge has ruled "a pre-embryo is a 'human being' ... whether or not it is implanted in its mother's womb." This, obviously, may have huge implications for the abortion and stem cell debates.

The suit was filed by Alison Miller and Todd Parrish, who stored nine embryos in January 2000 at the Center for Human Reproduction in Chicago. Their doctor said one embryo looked particularly promising, but the Chicago couple were told six months later the embryos had been accidentally discarded...In his ruling, Lawrence relied on the state's Wrongful Death Act, which allows lawsuits to be filed if unborn fetuses are killed in an accident or assault. "The state of gestation or development of a human being" does not preclude taking legal action, the act says...Lawrence also cited an Illinois state law that says an "unborn child is a human being from the time of conception and is, therefore, a legal person.

This all makes sense to me. But I am sure that it will make little sense to the antiabortion lobby. The question is whether it will make sense to higher courts in Illinois and Washington D.C.