Posted on 05/03/2005 7:33:22 AM PDT by areafiftyone
WEST PALM BEACH - A 13-year-old at the center of an abortion fight with the state was given permission Monday to terminate her pregnancy, but it was unclear whether she immediately underwent the procedure.
Attorneys for the girl, known only as L.G. in court papers, said the abortion was scheduled for later Monday. However, the state Department of Children and Families appealed the decision, according to Maxine Williams, one of the teen's attorneys.
"Since this is still in litigation, I can't speak to what's going on in court," DCF spokeswoman Marilyn Munoz said.
Palm Beach Juvenile Judge Ronald Alvarez issued an order last week temporarily stopping the teen, who lives in a state shelter, from having the abortion. DCF argued she was too young and immature to decide for herself and state law prohibited the agency from consenting to an abortion.
Alvarez held up the abortion until a psychological evaluation was completed, but he ruled Monday that the teen would not be physically or emotionally harmed by the abortion.
"Legally speaking, it's not a difficult decision to make," Alvarez was quoted as saying by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. "Morally speaking, it's a very difficult decision for this court to make. ... But I'm not here to make the moral decision. I'm here to make the legal decisions."
"He ruled that she is competent, that she has made a decision and that she has a right to act on that decision," said Howard Simon, executive director of the Florida branch of the American Civil Liberties Union, which helped represent the girl. The judge also declared "her right to act on that decision is also in her best interest," Simon said.
The teen, who was more than 14 weeks pregnant, has been in DCF care for at least four years.
Her attorneys say Florida law protects a minor's right to choose an abortion.
Florida's high court cited state privacy rights in 1989 when it tossed out a law that would have required parental consent for a minor's abortion.
Who refuses to admit it?
I'll say it! It's horrible that this girl ended up the way she did.
But guess what. Life ain't fair.
There is also the chance that she would be a great mother. A lot of children in wealthy two parent homes, end up in perma daycare. I think the kids would rather spend time with the mother then having lots of material possessions.
So if I hang around with you I'll soon realise it's okay to kill the innocent?
Funny.
I killed the only child I would ever have because I thought it was okay. No biggie. He would have had it rough, anyway. Maybe. Probably. Or he might have turned out as wonderful as my stepdaughter, who graduated a year early from high school and is on the dean's list in college, even though she was raised by her crazy mother who would take her shoplifting and spend her support money on drugs and alcohol.
We'll never know.
But at least I never had to set foot in a juvie court - hey, now there's a plus-side!
How could the judge or any psychologist possibly know that?
Unless this girl buries any semblence of conscience, she'll be having nightmares over this down the road.
And Crist wants to be Governor and former Sheriff Rice wants to become Fla's AG. If those bozos on the bus get those jobs, IT WILL BE EVEN WORSE THAN IT IS NOW. It will be a Pinellas Coup and they are both doodleheads. SAY NO TO CHARLIE CRIST, SORRY CHARLIE AND SAY NO TO EVERETT RICE WHO VOTED "NO" ON TERRI. Crist refused to get involved but he's helped other disabled Floridians. THE FIX WAS IN.
What baby do I want killed. I never said this girl should have an abortion. I just said the alternative stinks, too.
I can't think of a good reason to kill a baby. Is that argument too emotional for you?
"Why don't you just go sit through a few hundred juvenile court hearings like I have and see what's going on with all of these parents and kids. You'll change your tune."
The irony is that this 13yo girl is probably a future Democrat. A future Democrat that is killing her baby who would have likely ended up a Democrat (the "choice" is still to be determined.) Current Democrats kill future Democrats all the time.
I know it's difficult to admit that sometimes having a baby is not a good thing. Trust me, I sympathize with the confusion and pain that brings. But this girl's life will not be improved by having this child. She is a child herself. This does not by any means imply that I support the abortion either. It just means grey exists. Sometimes, not often, but it does.
Can you think of a good reason to kill an infant already born?
I'm sure some Republicans kill their babies, too. The Democrats don't have to worry. Time is still on their side, and we are importing more future Democrats.
I was referring to your treatment on previous thread that you recounted.
You know, I think there are people surfing abortion threads looking to swoop down on anyone who doesn't spout the right words. When, in any post, did I advocate this abortion?
I just recognize that sometimes an unplanned pregnancy is bad. It's bad if the child is aborted and it's bad if the child is raised by an incompetant (at best) mother. Certainly life is better, but sometimes the child that is born is going to live a life of pain, poverty or worse. Maybe it makes the child a stronger person, maybe the child deals drugs and is killed on the street at 17.
If we really want to be pro-life, we have to look beyond birth. That does not mean advocating abortion, but it means working on the conditions that the child will live, too.
Wrong. I'm sorry. but there's no way an abortion will make anything "right."
Huh?
You made the point that you were attacked because you weren't 100% pro-life and then warned those who were advocating abortion to be careful.
Actually girls are maturing at about 11 or 12 these days. 9 or 10 is not abnormal. 13 is old.
Scary, huh?
The risks to the child and mother do of course increase at such a young age. Prematurity is a risk and drug use is indicated in some of the articles.
Tragic.
Actually, that there are fewer babies to adopt today is more likely a result of the decreased stigma in single motherhood. Many pregnant girls years ago would be "forced" by social pressure to adopt out the baby. Now they can keep it and no one bats an eye. Except me, of course, but I'm a conservative, what do you want?
I hope you are not accusing me of trolling.
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