▁by ▁a ▁motor ist , ▁constit uted ▁veh icular ▁hom ic ide . ▁ ▁By ▁a ▁majority ▁decision , ▁the ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁of ▁Massachusetts ▁held ▁that ▁a ▁vi able ▁fet us ▁constit uted ▁a ▁" person " ▁for ▁the ▁purposes ▁of ▁veh icular ▁hom ic ide ▁law . ▁In ▁the ▁opinion ▁of ▁the ▁just ices , ▁ ▁Several ▁courts ▁have ▁held ▁that ▁it ▁is ▁not ▁their ▁function ▁to ▁rev ise ▁stat ute ▁law ▁by ▁abol ishing ▁the ▁born ▁alive ▁rule , ▁and ▁have ▁stated ▁that ▁such ▁changes ▁in ▁the ▁law ▁should ▁come ▁from ▁the ▁legisl ature . ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 0 ▁in ▁Ke eler ▁v . ▁Super ior ▁Court ▁of ▁Am ador ▁County ' ', ▁the ▁California ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁dismiss ed ▁a ▁murder ▁ind ict ment ▁against ▁a ▁man ▁who ▁had ▁caused ▁the ▁still b irth ▁of ▁the ▁child ▁of ▁his ▁est r anged ▁pre gn ant ▁wife , ▁stating ▁that , ▁ ▁Several ▁legisl atures ▁have , ▁as ▁a ▁consequence , ▁re vised ▁their ▁stat utes ▁to ▁explicitly ▁include ▁death s ▁and ▁inj uries ▁to ▁fet uses ▁in ▁u tero . ▁The ▁general ▁policy ▁has ▁been ▁that ▁an ▁attack er ▁who ▁causes ▁the ▁still b irth ▁of ▁a ▁fet us ▁should ▁be ▁pun ished ▁for ▁the ▁destruction ▁of ▁that ▁fet us ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁way ▁as ▁an ▁attack er ▁who ▁attacks ▁a ▁person ▁and ▁causes ▁their ▁death . ▁Some ▁legisl atures ▁have ▁simply ▁expanded ▁their ▁existing ▁off ences ▁to ▁explicitly ▁include ▁fet uses ▁in ▁u tero . ▁O thers ▁have