An Ohio woman, Brittany Watts, who suffered a miscarriage and subsequently passed a nonviable fetus in her bathroom, is now facing criminal charges, according to her attorney. Court records from Trumbull County show that Watts has been charged with felony abuse of a corpse.

According to her attorney, Traci Timko, Watts experienced a tragic and dangerous miscarriage that not only jeopardized her own life but also caused immense emotional distress. Instead of being able to focus on healing physically and psychologically, she was arrested and charged with a felony offense.

Watts' case is currently pending before the Trumbull County Grand Jury, and her attorney has advised her not to make any public statements until the criminal matter is resolved.

The incident raises important questions about the legal repercussions faced by women whose pregnancies end, whether through abortion or miscarriage, especially in light of the recent Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade and the subsequent implementation of state trigger laws across the country that impose new restrictions on abortion.

In this specific case, the charge against Watts appears to be centered on her actions after passing the fetus. Prosecutor Lewis Guarnieri stated at a preliminary hearing that the issue at hand is not how or when the child died but rather the fact that the nonviable fetus was placed in a toilet, causing it to clog, and subsequently left there while Watts continued with her day.

The Trumbull County Prosecutor's Office declined to comment on the case, citing Ohio law that grand jury proceedings are confidential. CNN has also reached out to the Warren Police Department for further information.

According to a report from the Trumbull County Coroner's Office, Watts had sought medical treatment at a hospital three times over the course of four days due to vaginal bleeding. The report states that during her first admission, she was diagnosed with premature rupture of membranes and severe oligohydramnios, indicating that her water had broken prematurely, and she had very little or no amniotic fluid.

Medical staff recommended inducing the nonviable fetus due to these complications, but Watts left the hospital against medical advice. She returned the next day, still experiencing the same issues, and again left without undergoing the recommended induction.

Finally, on September 22, she returned to the hospital after a home delivery, reporting vaginal bleeding with retained placenta. Watts admitted to delivering the fetus into the toilet of her residence. The hospital staff alerted the Warren Police Department, who discovered blood-filled toilet bowls and, upon further investigation, retrieved the fetus from the broken apart toilet.

An autopsy later determined that the cause of death for the fetus was intrauterine fetal demise, resulting from severely low amniotic fluid caused by premature rupture of membranes.

While miscarriages are most commonly seen during the early first trimester, it is less common to experience a natural loss of a fetus at a later stage of gestation. In this case, the tragedy occurred at 21 weeks and 5 days gestation, just before the legal threshold for abortions in Ohio. In the state, abortions are legal until fetal viability, usually considered to be around 22 to 24 weeks, unless the patient's life or health is at risk.

The case of Brittany Watts sheds light on the pressing need for education surrounding the realities of miscarriage and women's health. Her attorney argues that the lack of knowledge and insight, particularly among men, concerning miscarriage and its complications, may have influenced the charges brought against Watts.

As the case continues to unfold, it underscores the ongoing debate over the recognition of fetal personhood and the complex legal landscape surrounding pregnancies that do not reach full term.