A Florida appellate court has upheld an order barring a parentless 16-year-old teenager from having an abortion. The teen has made it clear she lacks the education, job, or support to raise a child and does not wish to carry one to term at this critical time in her personal growth. The court has determined that the teen is not "mature enough" to make this decision.
On Monday, a Florida appellate court affirmed an order prohibiting a "parentless" 16-year-old from getting an abortion on the grounds that she is not mature enough "to decide whether to terminate her pregnancy." Instead, the state will force her to have a child.
The teenager petitioned the court to bypass a Florida law that requires a minor to get parental consent before undergoing an abortion. In a letter to the court, she wrote that she was "not ready to have a baby" because she doesn't have a job, is still attending high school, and doesn't have a reliable partner.
…
"The trial court found, based on the non adversarial presentation below, that Appellant had not established by clear and convincing evidence that she was sufficiently mature to decide whether to terminate her pregnancy. Having reviewed the record, we affirm the trial court's decision," the appellate court wrote.
