A judge in Indiana has ruled that a prisoner convicted of murdering his 11-month-old stepdaughter back in 2001 must be granted transgender surgery.
The case was originally filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, which argued that the rights of transgender inmate, Jonathan C. Richardson, also known as Autumn Cordellionè, were being violated by an Indiana law prohibiting the Department of Corrections from using taxpayer dollars to fund sex reassignment surgeries for inmates.
“Accordingly, at this point gender-affirming surgery is necessary so that her physical identity can be aligned with her gender identity and so her gender dysphoria can be ameliorated,” the lawsuit states.
“She believes that the only remedy for her persistent gender dysphoria, and the serious harm it causes her, is to receive gender-affirming surgery, specifically an orchiectomy and vaginoplasty,” it said.
Judge Richard Young, who was appointed to the court by Bill Clinton back in 1998, agreed with this assessment.
“Specifically, Ms. Cordellioné has shown that her gender dysphoria is a serious medical need, and that, despite other treatments Defendant has provided her to treat her gender dysphoria, she requires gender-affirming surgery to prevent a risk of serious bodily and psychological harm,” he wrote in his ruling.
As a result, the Department of Corrections must now take “all reasonable actions” to grant the murderer his desired sex change.
Posting on the X platform, Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita confirmed he would be appealing the decision and pointed out that taxpayers would rather not fund such an indulgent request.
An Indiana inmate convicted of murder wants taxpayers to fund their gender altering surgery. Last night, on WEHT in Evansville, they aired a story and my interview. My comment? Voters and the Legislature do not want their tax dollars spent on these prisoner gender surgeries.…
— Todd Rokita (@ToddRokitaIN) September 19, 2024
According to court documents, Richardson was sentenced to 55 years in prison after being convicted of strangling his wife’s 11-month-year old daughter to death while she was at work. Detectives who interviewed him at the time said he “unemotional” when questioned about his dastardly crime.
