Judge to block 24-hour wait on abortions

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A federal judge said Wednesday that he will temporarily block a new Missouri law that would have required physicians to wait 24 hours after consulting women before performing abortions.

Senior U.S. District Judge Scott O. Wright plans to issue the temporary restraining order Friday -- one day before Missouri's new abortion law was to take effect, said Wright's clerk.

The decision came after the judge held a closed telephone conference call Wednesday with attorneys for the state and Planned Parenthood affiliates, who had challenged the law on grounds it is unconstitutionally vague and broad.

Under the law, physicians must wait 24 hours to perform an abortion after conferring with women about "the indicators and contra-indicators and risk factors, including any physical, psychological or situational factors."

Charges against mother in baby's beating death

ST. LOUIS -- A 19-year-old mother was charged with first-degree murder for allegedly beating her baby to death against a curb on the street, authorities said Wednesday.

Jilanda Davis of St. Louis was hospitalized and under observation following the death Tuesday of her daughter, Destiny Daniels, who was 2 1/2 months old.

Authorities say drugs may have played a role.

"She was under the influence of drugs and quite possibly not aware of what she was actually doing because surely a mother would never do that to her child," police Lt. Rochelle Jones said.

Shocked witnesses saw the incident. Police said Davis held the child by the ankles and slammed her head on the pavement, then dropped her onto the street and kicked her.

"We saw the girl running out the house, she had the baby in her hands, she had her by the legs, she was just beating her on the ground," Damika Hobbs told KSDK-TV. "We stopped and my heart just dropped."

-- From staff, wire reports