DCF abortion case draws ire

DCF abortion case draws ire

BY JILL BARTON

Associated Press

WEST PALM BEACH - A girl who wants an abortion in Florida normally
does not need to get permission from her parents or to tell them of
her decision.

But the Department of Children & Families is not letting a 13-year-old
in its custody get an abortion, even though she wants one. That has
drawn the ire of the American Civil Liberties Union, which sued to let
the girl decide on her own.

The case again pits civil liberties organizations against Gov. Jeb
Bush and conservative groups, only weeks after the end of their fight
over Terri Schiavo, a brain-damaged woman who died after her husband
had her feeding tube removed.

''You got to be blind not to see a pattern here,'' said Howard Simon,
executive director for the Florida ACLU, which also helped represent
Schiavo's husband.

Gov. Jeb Bush and the Republican-led Legislature have tried for years
to tighten state laws on abortion.

The timing in the abortion dispute already has proven critical.

The girl, known only as L. G. in court documents, is more than 13
weeks pregnant and in her second trimester. As a result, attorneys
filed an emergency motion in the case and urged the appellate court to
hasten its decision and let the girl have the abortion she wants.

''I hope they move very, very quickly because every day is another day
of emotional torment for this child and every day the pregnancy
continues, it becomes more dangerous for this child,'' said Richard
Wexler, executive director for the National Coalition for Child
Protection Reform.

Bush's spokesman, Jacob DiPietre, described the situation as ''a
tragic and sad case.'' But he said the DCF is acting in the girl's
best interests.

Bob Bertisch, director of Palm Beach County's Legal Aid Society,
described the girl ''as very, very upset'' over the situation. The
agency was appointed to represent the girl by a juvenile judge and
filed the appeal with the ACLU
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/11518045.htm

Defend your civil liberties! Get information at http://www.aclu.org, become a member at http://www.aclu.org/join and get active at http://www.aclu.org/action.

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...
DCF abortion case draws ire

BY JILL BARTON

Associated Press

WEST PALM BEACH - A girl who wants an abortion in Florida normally
does not need to get permission from her parents or to tell them of
her decision.

But the Department of Children & Families is not letting a 13-year-old
in its custody get an abortion, even though she wants one. That has
drawn the ire of the American Civil Liberties Union, which sued to let
the girl decide on her own.

The case again pits civil liberties organizations against Gov. Jeb
Bush and conservative groups, only weeks after the end of their fight
over Terri Schiavo, a brain-damaged woman who died after her husband
had her feeding tube removed.

''You got to be blind not to see a pattern here,'' said Howard Simon,
executive director for the Florida ACLU, which also helped represent
Schiavo's husband.

Gov. Jeb Bush and the Republican-led Legislature have tried for years
to tighten state laws on abortion.

The timing in the abortion dispute already has proven critical.

The girl, known only as L. G. in court documents, is more than 13
weeks pregnant and in her second trimester. As a result, attorneys
filed an emergency motion in the case and urged the appellate court to
hasten its decision and let the girl have the abortion she wants.

''I hope they move very, very quickly because every day is another day
of emotional torment for this child and every day the pregnancy
continues, it becomes more dangerous for this child,'' said Richard
Wexler, executive director for the National Coalition for Child
Protection Reform.

Bush's spokesman, Jacob DiPietre, described the situation as ''a
tragic and sad case.'' But he said the DCF is acting in the girl's
best interests.

Bob Bertisch, director of Palm Beach County's Legal Aid Society,
described the girl ''as very, very upset'' over the situation. The
agency was appointed to represent the girl by a juvenile judge and
filed the appeal with the ACLU
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/11518045.htm

Defend your civil liberties! Get information at http://www.aclu.org,
become a member at http://www.aclu.org/join and get active at
http://www.aclu.org/action.