TX Attorney Sentenced to 6 Months Behind Bars for Poisoning Pregnant Wife’s Drinks with Abortion Pills

A Texas man who slipped abortion drugs into his wife’s drinks several times has been sentenced to 180 days in jail and ten years on probation.

“Mason Herring, a 39-year-old Houston attorney, pleaded guilty Wednesday to injury to a child and assault of a pregnant person. He had initially been charged with felony assault to induce abortion,” the Associated Press reported. 

His wife, Catherine Herring, told the court six months in jail is not long enough. She added that their now 1-year-old daughter, who is their third child together, was born ten weeks premature, has developmental delays, and attends therapy eight times a week.

“I do not believe that 180 days is justice for attempting to kill your child seven separate times,” Catherine Herring said.

Catherine Herring, who has since filed for divorce, told law enforcement that she had notified her husband about the pregnancy during a counseling session in March of 2022. He “had a negative reaction and after that evening, he sent her text messages expressing that he was not happy about the pregnancy and did not know what to do,” according to the complaint.  

He allegedly told her that the third baby would “ruin his plans and make him look like a jerk.” Their counselor advised that they spend spring break together, the complaint states.

“Catherine Herring told authorities her husband in March 2022 began lecturing her on hydration and offering water. She said she became severely ill after drinking from the first cup that appeared cloudy, which her husband explained was perhaps the result of the cup or water pipes being dirty,” according to the report. 

She became suspicious and refused several other drinks he had offered her. Later, she found packaging in the trash for misoprostol, a drug used to induce an abortion, the report states. 

Catherine Herring also provided videos to police from hidden cameras she installed in her home. Catherine Herring said one of the videos showed her husband mixing something into one of her drinks.

Mason Herring’s attorney, Dan Codgell, called the plea deal and sentence reasonable.

“It’s a sad situation and Mason has accepted his responsibility,” Cogdell said.