Court Orders Temporary Halt to Forced Abortion

Late Friday, March 28, a federal court in Jackson, Mississippi issued an emergency Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) barring the forced abortion of a pregnant 16 year old high school junior's unborn child. The girl's parents had scheduled the abortion for 8:00 a.m. Saturday, March 29, at the Jackson Women's Health Organization on State Street.

A hearing scheduled for Monday may determine whether or not the parents can force the girl to undergo the abortion.

The girl had pleaded with her parents to let her keep the baby, but they insisted that the abortion must take place. In desperation, the girl contacted attorneys at the AFA Center for Law & Policy on Thursday in hopes that legal action could stop the abortion. AFA attorneys Stephen M. Crampton and Michael J. DePrimo hastily prepared the lawsuit and successfully obtained the TRO from federal Judge William H. Barbour, Jr. late Friday afternoon, only hours before the abortion was scheduled to take place.

"If the right to choose means anything, it means that a mother-to-be may constitutionally decide to give her baby life. The law protects women who choose to keep their child as well as those who choose to abort," said Steve Crampton, Chief Counsel for the Center for Law & Policy (the Center).

"A mother's desire to protect her baby is among the strongest in life. While we are thankful the court entered the order, it is a sad fact that legal action was necessary to save the life of this unborn child," added Mike DePrimo, Senior Litigation Counsel for the Center.

The Center for Law & Policy is the legal arm of the American Family Association, Inc., located in Tupelo, Mississippi. The Center restricts its practice to constitutional litigation in state and federal courts throughout the country.

According to the Jackson Clarion-Ledger, the spokesperson at the abortion clinic expressed surprise at the court order, saying that they would not have done the abortion if the girl had said she didn’t want it. According to the spokesperson, the girl had not been hesitant when she had been in the abortion clinic earlier.

No mention was made in the Clarion-Ledger of whether the girl had been given shelter elsewhere or whether she remains at home with her parents.