Kudos to ABCNews.com on Abortion Story

Photo of Ken Shepherd.

ABCNews.com screencap from June 11, 2008 | NewsBusters.orgI've ripped ABCNews.com recently for some of their stories and story selection -- 'pregnant man' photos, need I say more? -- but I have to give the site kudos today for putting in its top headlines rotation a story about Georgia mother Cindi Cook, convicted of forging a signature on a parental consent form for her son's pregnant girlfriend.

What's more, rather than resorting to the more clinical term "fetus" which subtly denies the sanctity of the unborn life taken by abortion, ABCNews.com editors used the term baby in the headline, "Mom Broke Law to Abort Teen Son's Baby."

Reporter David Schoetz noted that the Northside Women's Clinic may soon be the target of a lawsuit, and quoted from the teenage girl's lawyer who alleged the clinic may well be actively counseling teenage clients on how to circumvent the parental notification law (emphasis mine):

Story Continues Below Ad ↓

S. Fenn Little Jr., the attorney representing the teenage girl and her family, condemned Cook's behavior and also raised questions about the role of the Northside Women's Clinic, where the teenager had the abortion in May 2007, in the illegal abortion.

"It was very clear from the testimony at the trial that the girl was coerced and very much strong-armed into getting this abortion that she opposed, that her parents opposed and that at one point, the boy opposed," Little told ABC News. Cook's motivation, he said, was a fear that having a child might jeopardize her son's college plans.

The teenage girl told her parents about the abortion about a month after the procedure, Little said, and her parents called the police, triggering the investigation.

Little said he is considering a civil case against the Atlanta-based clinic.

"The issue is going to be whether this particular clinic was essentially soliciting underage girls seeking abortions," Little said.

Under Georgia state law, anyone under the age of 18 who is not married and not in an emergency medical scenario must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at the time of the abortion. The requirement can be waived if certain notification steps are made.

"There are some confirmation steps that you've got to take if there's a note, and they did not do that. They essentially directed Ms. Cook on how to have the abortion without taking those confirmation steps," Little said.

It should prove interesting if ABC News follows up on this story, particularly if a civil suit is filed against Northside and/or criminal charges end up being filed against the clinic for failure to comply with Georgia state law.

—Ken Shepherd is Managing Editor of NewsBusters


Comments Policy

All comments are owned by whoever posted them and are subject to our terms of use. They should not be assumed to represent the views of NewsBusters.

Viewing options

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.

Abortion

 I would like to see them tried for murder.!!

kilrod

Remember, only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you, Jesus Christ and the American Soldier

i have never understood how,

i have never understood how, if i were to kill a woman's unborn child, i could be tried for murder, but if a woman aborts it, it's not murder. it's not either/or.

mister - I don't believe that issue has been tested by SCOTUS

yet. If anyone knows differently I'd be interested. As far as I know I thought that was still handled differently state by state. Abortion proponents fight states who try to make it a murder (or double murder if both the mother and child are killed). I'm not sure but I think different states handle it differently. I don't think it's been handled by the SCOTUS yet.

Was'nt Scott Peterson

Was convicted of double murder, his wife and unborn child 

 

"Television is a freak show" Bernie Goldberg

I think Peterson was.

My point is, I think it's different by state. I know that pro-choice groups have been fighting the laws at the state levels. I don't think they have much of an argument at the Federal level because I don't think there are any Federal laws that define it as a double homicide (in a hate crime for example) I'm not sure though. It just seems like every time I've seen something on it, it's been at the state level.

If the woman wants it, it's

If the woman wants it, it's a baby; her unborn child. If she doesn't, it's a fetus...you know, a clump of cells.

Got it?

That's why it was very unusual for ABC to say "her son's baby."

This is an extremely interesting story Ken

Please keep us informed as to what happens. It seems as if the boys parents should also be charged in both a civil and criminal lawsuit.

 

KS?

I just read that it is actually a woman who is pregnant, she just had a sex change, but left her reproductive organs intact. Correct?

That would make ABC's fascination with this questionable if they are leaving this fact. 

I'm for torte reform,

I'm for torte reform, especially meaning the trial lawyers and greenies...I hate everyone suing everyone...but in this case....

Sue! Sue! Sue!

I hope more are to come on down the road for these clinics and Planned Parent and their ilk. 

Please let us know what happens....

"Never murder your opponent when he is committing suicide." ~ W. Wilson

If it were my daughter...

I would not only file a wrongfull death suite against the boy's parents, but do everything in my power to see that they were charged with not only forery, but premeditated murder. This is one of the most heinous crimes I can think of in recent memory.

 

The day that "politician" became a career choice is the day we started losing the Republic. Let's get it back! Alan Keyes '08.

Is this the same place?

Is this the same Atlanta Northside that ripped a hole in Geneva Calton's uterus then sent her home to bleed to death?

http://realchoice.0catch.com/library/weekly/aa022303a.htm