A woman who was found guilty of capital murder following a miscarriage has now been sentenced to the federal death penalty, authorities report.Nicole Johnson still maintains her innocence and will be appealing her sentence. She remains in segregated custody.

After a two-day trial, a jury found Nicole Johnson guilty of capital murder of her unborn child. Her lawyer provided the following statement to the press:"It is clear there was a strong bias against my client (...) the case against Nicole was not based in hard fact but relied on undermining her character, portraying her as 'deviant' and 'promiscuous'."Trial has moved to sentencing, with Ms Johnson at risk of facing life in prison or even the needle. She will face a double gauntlet at both the state and federal level; while the state is likely to give her life in prison, the federal sentence will be more severe in all likelihood.

28-year old Nicole Johnson was arrested following an alleged miscarriage. Investigation is still pending as to whether she was at fault for it. The police were alerted by Ms Johnson's doctor, who raised suspicions as she was in her second trimester and the pregnancy seemingly presented no risks.The 2022 Supreme Court ruling Dobbs v. Jackson paved the way for legislators to fully qualify abortion as a murder or even capital murder offense, at both the federal and state level. If found guilty, Ms Johnson could be eligible for the federal death penalty. She will have to stand trial in both courts as she crossed state lines prior to miscarrying.