Charges Dropped In Birth Control Implant Case

PITTSBURGH (AP) – Charges have been dropped against a woman accused of forcing her friend’s 12-year-old daughter to get a birth control implant without the mother’s permission. Online court documents show two felony counts of endangering welfare of children and a misdemeanor charge of recklessly endangering another person were withdrawn on Friday against 29-year-old Valerie Fullum. Mike Manko, a spokesman for the Allegheny County district attorney’s office, says he can’t comment on why the charges were withdrawn, other than to say that investigators “came across an evidentiary issue” that they “could not overcome.” Fullum’s attorney, Steve Townsend, says the girl was never forced to get the implant, and that story was fabricated by others who wanted to discredit his client. He says Fullum, who lost her job during the ordeal, feels vindicated but now must work on mending her reputation.