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| Judge Puts Halt to State Abortion Notification Law |
A judge has suspended enforcement of a law that requires women 17 and younger to tell their parents if they plan to have an abortion.
After an hour of oral arguments Wednesday afternoon, Cook County Judge Daniel Riley issued a temporary restraining order. That decision came a few hours after the Illinois' Medical Disciplinary Board cleared the path for the state to start enforcing the hotly debated abortion notification law, which was passed in 1995, but has never been enforced. If was in force for a few hours Wednesday, but no enforcement actions were brought.
American Civil Liberties Union Attorney Lorie Chaiten argued that the notification law infringed upon privacy rights guaranteed by the state Constitution. Chaiten argued that women "have a fundamental right to terminate a pregnancy under privacy laws in the Constitution." She also argued that pregnant teenagers don't need parental permission to have a child and those who choose abortion should be treated the same way. Chaiten also argued that some pregnant women would be at risk of physical abuse if they're required to confront their parents.
The state argued that the state has an obligation to make sure kids get good advice from parents. Tom Ioppolo of the Illinois attorney general's office cited a number of cases from across the country where notification laws were upheld.
Joseph Scheidler, national director of the Pro Life Action League, says 44 other states have notification laws and Illinois should do the same. He says he was not surprised that a temporary restraining order was granted, but is confident the order will be repealed in the end.
According to Chaiten, the temporary restraining order will stay in place until a preliminary injunction hearing and a further order of the court.
(Illinois Radio Network) |
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| 11 05 09 by Newsroom |
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