Judge’s Order Forcing Mentally Ill Woman to have an Abortion Reversed

LifeNews.com is reporting that a Massachusetts state judge who ordered that a mentally ill woman have an abortion and be sterilized has been overruled by a state appeals court. The judge’s order declared the pregnant woman, who sufferers from schizophrenia, incompetent and ordered that she have an abortion even if it required that she be “‘coaxed, bribed, or even enticed ... by ruse’” to do so.

The woman testified at the trial court hearing that she was “very Catholic,” and when asked about having an abortion, she stated she “wouldn’t do that.” The judge’s order stated that she had “substantial delusional beliefs” and concluded that she would “not choose to be delusional’’ and would have chosen to have an abortion if she were competent.

The appellate court swiftly reversed this abhorrent decision, stating, “The personal decision whether to bear or beget a child is a right so fundamental that it must be extended to all persons, including those who are incompetent.’’ The appellate court’s decision sharply criticized the trial judge: “No party requested this measure, none of the attendant procedural requirements has been met, and the judge appears to have simply produced the requirement out of thin air.”

While this particular trial court judge has since retired, it is critical that we remain vigilant to protect the rights of the unborn and women in need from activist judges. What would our judicial system come to if we allowed judges to force women to have abortions and undergo sterilization procedures?