First on Fox: Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita is appealing a federal judge's decision to allow an inmate — in prison for killing his 11-month-old stepson — to undergo sex reassignment surgery. Prisoner's Case Against State Correctional Facilities.
“We have made it very clear that we disagree with the judge’s decision in this case and we are now formally appealing,” Rokita told Fox News Digital. “Prisoners like the child killers convicted in this case do not have a constitutional right to sex reassignment surgery, much less have taxpayers foot the bill.”
“We will continue to do our duty Defense of Indiana Common Sense Law,” he said.
Judicial regulations in India require prisons to provide GM surgery for inmates who kill children
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said a transgender inmate, Jonathan C. Richardson, aka Autumn Cordeleone, who was convicted of strangling her 11-month-old stepdaughter in 2001, is suing the Indiana Department of Corrections on her behalf. (Indiana Department of Corrections/Getty Images)
Fox News Digital first learned that Rokita filed a notice of intent to appeal Wednesday morning.
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) sued the Indiana Department of Corrections Last year, on behalf of a transgender inmate, Jonathan C. Richardson, also known as Autumn Cordeleone, was convicted in 2001 of strangling his 11-month-old stepdaughter.
Indiana law, however, prohibits the Department of Corrections from using taxpayer money to pay for sex reassignment surgeries for inmates. However, the ACLU argues in favor of caseFiled on August 28, 2023, that the law violates the Eighth Amendment's prohibition on “cruel and unusual punishments.”
ACLU sues Indiana for denying sex reassignment surgery to inmate who strangled 11-month-old baby
A judge granted an inmate's request for gender reassignment surgery. (stock)
The surgery for Cordeleone, who is serving a 55-year sentence for reckless homicide, is “a medical necessity,” according to the ACLU lawsuit.
Judge Richard Young agreed with the ACLU's claims and ruled in Cordeleone's favor last month.
“Specifically, Ms. Cordeleone has shown that her gender dysphoria requires serious treatment and, despite the other treatments the defendant has provided her to treat her gender dysphoria, she requires gender affirmation surgery to avoid the risk of harm severe physical and emotional.” The decision states.
In a separate case last year, Cordeleone filed a civil lawsuit against the prison chaplain, alleging that she was prohibited from wearing the hijab outside her dormitory. Identity as a Muslim woman.
Trans inmate who killed child and identifies as Muslim woman sues chaplain for allegedly not allowing hijab
Todd Rokita on April 4, 2018. (Call from Tom Williams/CQ)
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According to Court documentsCordeleone strangled his then-wife's 11-month-old daughter while she was at work on September 12, 2001.
During Cordeleone's initial interview with one of the detectives, he appeared calm and “incoherent” as he described what happened, Indiana Court of Appeals court documents show.
