LEHIGH ACRES, FL — In another major U.S. Court of Appeals victory for the victims of forced abortion, the Eleventh Circuit in Atlanta, Georgia has just ruled that a woman suing for an unwanted abortion can remain anonymous by denying a petition for rehearing on that point in a brief decision filed on August 7, 2001. (No. 00-10231)
“This is great news”, declared Michael Hirsh of Kennesaw, Georgia, the lead attorney in the groundbreaking case of Jane Roe II v. Aware Woman Center For Choice, Inc. “We are most pleased that the Court has allowed my client to retain her cloak of anonymity. It was surprising that representatives of the abortion industry sought to strip away my client’s privacy. It’s just the opposite of what they’ve been saying for 28 years.”
“Had the abortion people succeeded in depriving Jane Roe II of her anonymity, there would be fewer lawsuits and fewer felony charges brought for the crime of forced abortion”, observed Meredith Raney, spokesperson for the Women’s Legal Action Coalition, of Melbourne, Florida.
“It’s incredible!” exclaimed Dr. Patricia McEwen also of Melbourne, Florida, spokesperson for Life Coalition International. “The abortion industry knew better than to try to inflict additional suffering and embarrassment on any woman seeking justice for a forced abortion. Even in Third World countries, they understand that ‘No’ is a choice.”
Echoing this dismay was Jean Sapp of Lehigh Acres, Florida, Director of the Counselor Corps which provides training for pro-life counselors at abortion clinics. “The abortion industry never should have tried to take away Jane Roe II’s privacy. This was an awful thing for them to do. Shame on them.”
According to Mr. Hirsh, the abortion clinic must now either return the case to the United States Supreme Court, where review was denied earlier this year, or proceed towards trial in the U.S. District Court in Orlando, Florida. “Either way, this case has already established the right of a pregnant woman to say “No!” to an unwanted abortion – - – for the first time ever in this Nation.”
