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August 27, 2007
OH court supports abortion privacy
A state appeals court Friday ruled that Cincinnati Planned Parenthood clinic doesn't have to give other minors' abortion records to a family who is suing over a teenage girl's abortion.The ruling overturns a lower-court judge's order in the suit, which alleges that the Planned Parenthood clinic here unlawfully failed to get consent from a parent before performing an abortion on the girl, as required by Ohio law. The lawsuit sought records of other minors' abortion records going back 10 years in an effort show that the clinic had a pattern of violating the law, and a Hamilton County judge last year agreed to the request.
But a three-judge panel of the 1st District Court of Appeals ruled unanimously that others' records weren't necessary for the lawsuit, which it said was about whether Planned Parenthood violated its legal duties to the girl's parents in performing her abortion.
The court ruled that the invasion of privacy rights trumped the probative value of the records in the parents' case. Thank goodness, though I'm sure the anti-choicers won't be too pleased. What is it with them and trying to invade patient privacy?!
Posted by Jessica at August 27, 2007 11:20 AM