ASHEVILLE – A midwife who practice in Asheville and surrounding areas plead guilty to charges stemming from a failed home-birth in July 2012.
The Buncombe District Attorney says Tina Louise Bailey, 46, plead guilty to one count of felony obstruction of justice and one count of misdemeanor unauthorized practice of midwifery.
Bailey was initially charged with murder of an unborn child, assault inflicting serious bodily injury, obtaining property by false pretense, and obstruction of justice.
North Carolina regulates the practice of midwifery and practitioners must be certified nurse midwives to legally attend deliveries in the state.
A certified nurse midwife is a registered nurse who graduates from an accredited nurse midwifery education program and passes a national certification exam.
It’s against the law to practice in North Carolina without a licence.
The District Attorney says the parties knew that Bailey was not a certified nurse midwife at the time she provided services in the failed home-birth.
Bailey will serve a suspended sentence of 6-17 months. She has already served 298 days.
Bailey was ordered not to practice midwifery as defined by North Carolina law and comply with other conditions of probation.
