“One of the things that I’ve come away [with] is just the extraordinary power that judges wield in these guardianship proceedings.”
-- Jason Guinasso, attorney for the family
-- From "Nevada Judge Won't Force Mentally Impaired Woman to Have Abortion" by The Associated Press 11/15/12
The woman, who has the mental capacity of a 6-year-old, had wandered from a Reno group home that she was living in and became pregnant 13 weeks ago. The child's father has not been identified, and it's unknown whether the pregnancy resulted from rape or consensual sex, according to court documents.
The court became involved in late September, when officials with Social Services voiced concerns about the effects that her medication could have on the fetus. The case quickly drew attention from anti-abortion advocates nationally.
The woman's parents said that while the pregnancy poses health risks to their daughter and the baby, medical experts back their decision to continue the pregnancy.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Forced abortion no longer an option in case of pregnant disabled woman, judge rules" by Kirsten Andersen, LifeSiteNews.com 11/14/12
. . . Judge Walker had been holding hearings to determine whether to force 32-year-old Elisa Bauer to abort her baby against the wishes of her adoptive parents, Bill and Amy Bauer, who say she wants to have the baby and give it up for adoption.
. . . The court plans to use the remaining scheduled evidentiary hearings to gather additional information to help her caretakers make the best decisions for her as she carries her pregnancy to term.
[The Bauer family attorney Jason] Guinasso said that while he is pleased with the results of today’s hearing, he still believes Judge Walker overstepped his bounds in calling the hearings in the first place.
Previously, Guinasso had sued in the state Supreme Court to stop the proceedings, but the higher court denied his motion.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Judge Rules Against Forcing Mentally Disabled Woman’s Abortion" by Steven Ertelt and Becky Bowers-Greene, LifeNews.com 11/14/12
. . . Melissa Clement, president of Nevada Right to Life, told LifeNews . . . “What started as bureaucratic overreach seeking to quickly eliminate a problematic fetus ended as a recognition that two lives were at stake and that care must be taken to protect them.”
Previously, Guinasso said Judge Egan Walker did not have the legal authority to force Elisa to have the abortion or hold legal hearings on the matter. He said if the guardians, who want her to have the baby, are overruled in court, that Washoe County Social Services should have filed paperwork with the court as to why it was forcing the woman to have the abortion. Local officials have not done that.
He said previously: “There are no statutes that give this Court or Washoe County the authority to compel [the woman] to have an abortion. Such decisions are left to the sound discretion of the duly appointed guardian(s)… To date, Washoe County has utterly failed to provide clear and convincing evidence that Mr. and Mrs. Bauer’s decision to support [her] efforts to carry her child to term is unlawful or that they are not acting in a manner consistent with the best interests of [her] health and welfare.”
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
