9/24/2026 “Baby Doe” Documentary Film Screening

On Thursday, September 24, 2026, the CSU Law Center for Health Law and Policy and Center for Criminal Justice, and the CSU School of Film & Media Arts, are presenting a free public screening of the documentary film Baby Doe in the CSU Law Moot Court Room.  The documentary film tells the story of Gail Ritchey, a young woman from a conservative Christian community in rural Ohio, who gave birth alone and left her newborn in the woods.  Thirty years later, DNA evidence links Gail, now a mother of three, to the cold case “Geauga’s Child.”  Arrested for murder and vilified in the media, authorities dismiss her claim that the baby was stillborn.  Gail and her family confront religious stigma, community judgement, and long-buried shame in the fight for her freedom.  “Baby Doe” cuts through the headlines to reveal the human complexity of Gail’s case, exploring how women’s health, justice, and the outside forces shape stories like hers.  The documentary film will be shown 4:30pm-6:10pm, followed by a panel discussion examining the complex intersection of criminal law, reproductive rights, and mental health.  The panel will be facilitated by CSU Law student Rachel Revehl.  The speakers will be Jessica Earnshaw, the filmmaker, James Ewing, CSU Law Clinical Professor of Law & Prosecutor Program Director, and Dr. Heather Marie Rice, CSU Assistant Professor of Nursing.  For more information, and to register, see Documentary Screening Event – Baby Doe.