A Florida court decides that a 16-year-old who is "parentless" is not "sufficiently mature" to undergo an abortion.
A Florida circuit judge made the decision that a "parentless" minor could not get an abortion because she wasn't "mature enough" to end the pregnancy.
The teen, described as 16 years old by one appellate judge, sought court permission to avoid the state's notification and consent requirements.
The bypass request was rejected by Escambia County Circuit Judge Jennifer Frydrychowicz, and her ruling was confirmed by a three-judge panel of the 1st District Court of Appeal.
According to the ruling, the teen "had not established by clear and convincing evidence that she was sufficiently mature to decide whether to terminate her pregnancy."
Makar disagreed with a portion of the decision, writing that the appeals court should remand the case to the circuit judge for further consideration.
"While the trial judge denied the petition, he explicitly left open the possibility of further proceedings by stating that the 'court finds (the minor) may be able, at a later date,
'The court may reconsider its decision if she fails to adequately articulate her request,' Makar wrote.
However, Jay and Nordby determined that remanding the case to the circuit judge was not necessary.
"The trial court's order and findings are neither ambiguous nor deficient to the extent that a remand would be required for us to perform our review under the statute," they wrote in the main decision