Federal judge approves furlough for inmate to get abortion

U.S. District Court Magistrate Bruce Guyton approved the medical furlough on Monday for Heather Natasha Marie Whitt, who was indicted last month on a federal charge of crack cocaine conspiracy.

Discussions about the request were held in the judge’s chambers, and the motion for furlough and the order of approval were sealed. The Knoxville News Sentinel obtained a copy of the motion before it was sealed.

Whitt found out she was pregnant after she was jailed, her attorney Kevin Angel said.

“The pregnancy is high risk in nature and could expose (Whitt) to serious health risks,” Angel wrote in the motion.

The situation is believed to be unusual for U.S. District Court in the eastern district of Tennessee.

The government is not paying for the procedure. Taxpayers would be obligated to pay for medical care while the defendant is jailed.