ST. PAUL, Minnesota, October 14, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A judge has ruled that Planned Parenthood is guilty of breaking state law for committing an abortion on a 17-year-old minor without her parents’ knowledge.
Ramsey County District Judge David Higgs ruled a Planned Parenthood abortuary was guilty of contravening the Minnesota notification law, which requires abortionists to inform a minor’s parents before committing an abortion. Planned Parenthood committed the abortion December 26, 2002. The girl’s parents launched the suit in May.
Planned Parenthood argued the girl, a high school senior, was legally an adult because she already has a child. “Clearly our definition is that she was a legal adult,” said Planned Parenthood’s director of marketing communications, Marta Coursey, according to an AP report. “We are really committed to making sure this young woman’s rights are protected.”
The girl’s parents argued the state law applies to all girls under 18 years of age, whether they are a parent or not. “My clients feel the relationship between a minor and parents have been breached by this,” said the parent’s attorney, John Angell. “They have a right to be notified and respond accordingly. They were never notified.”
A jury trial is set for April, unless the two sidesÂsettle out of court before that time. The parents are seeking $50,000 in damages.
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