A Cook County judge will decide whether to lift a temporary restraining order on a law requiring Illinois parents to be notified before their teen daughter has an abortion.
The Illinois law requires doctors to notify guardians 48 hours before a girl 17 or younger gets an abortion. But the law isn’t being enforced because of extensive court proceedings, including the most recent temporary restraining order.
Today the American Civil Liberties Union argued parental notification could cause irreversible damage. Lorie Chaiten represents the ACLU.
CHAITEN: There are those young women so afraid of the response of their parents, the harms of the judicial bypass process that they try to self-induce abortion.
The state says the restraining order should be dismissed arguing it would be harmful if parents aren’t involved. And under a judicial bypass, a minor could still get an abortion without parental notification if she meets certain requirements. A court decision is expected by the end of the month.