(Columbia) June 30, 2006 - Unborn children are now protected from abuse under state law in South Carolina.

Governor Mark Sanford signed the unborn victims act into law Friday.

Under the new law, someone who harms a pregnant woman will be charged for a second crime on behalf of the unborn child.

South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham (R) worked for seven years in Congress to get a similar federal law passed. Friday he congratulated South Carolina on becoming the 30th state to pass an unborn victims law, "If you come to South Carolina and you do harm to a mother who is carrying an unborn child, you are going to face the full wrath of the law twice, not once."

The South Carolina law stems from a 1996 case. Joseph "Jody" Ard, 21, was charged with shooting his 17-year-old girlfriend Madeline Coffee in the head. She was four weeks away from giving birth to their son.

It was a landmark case in that Ard was the first person in South Carolina to be given the death sentence for killing a fetus. The case was appealed up to the State Supreme Court and the conviction for killing the fetus was overturned.

Under the law signed Friday, people can now be convicted of hurting an unborn baby. However they would not be eligible for the death penalty for that crime.

Posted 7:43pm by Chantelle Janelle