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Subscribe to RSSA lawsuit filed by a 16-year-old girl against her parents alleges she is being coerced to have an abortion against her will. KPRC's Courtney Zavala reports.
A pregnant Texas 16-year-old has gone to court to avoid having an abortion against her will, according to court documents.
Lawyers with the Texas Center for Defense of Life, a pro-life advocacy group, filed a petition on behalf of the teen plaintiff identified only by her initials in Harris County, Texas district court on Feb. 10. A judge granted a temporary restraining order in the case, according to local NBC affiliate Click2Houston.com.
"We were asking the judge to stop them physically forcing her to have an abortion," the plaintiff’s attorney Stephen Casey told Click2Houston.com. “They cannot drag her to get an abortion, force an abortion on our client.”
Read more, watch video on Click2Houston.com
The eight-page petition alleges that the plaintiff’s parents, identified as Jeffrey Koen and Denise Watts Koen, attempted to force their daughter to act against her will "by coercing her to have an abortion with both verbal and physical threats and harassment."
The pregnant young woman has lived with her grandparents for the past seven months, the court document states, and is nine weeks pregnant.
After the plaintiff informed her parents that she was pregnant, her mother pushed for the termination of the pregnancy, according to the petition. The plaintiff’s father said that the plaintiff’s "only option was for her to have an abortion," the document states.
The plaintiff’s mother "invited the paternal grandparents to a bar for further discussion, where she suggested that she might slip R.E.K. an abortion pill through deception," according to the petition.
Lawyers argue that the teen has the right to choose to keep her baby under Roe v. Wade, the Supreme court case that legalized abortion.
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I'm Pro-Choice. All Americans have the right to self-determination, the free choice of one's own acts or states without external compulsion.
Free choice is all well and good until it impedes the free choice of others. This is a child freely choosing to have a child which she is unable to provide for emotionally, physically or financially. The State will be forced to step in and take care of both children. Thus, her free choice has become everyone else's obligation. Her right to free choice is secondary to the free choice of the rest of the people in the state.
Her choice is NOT secondary to the state. The state will be forced to step in? Give me a break. You have no idea what her situation is, what her support will be. You know nothing of the kind.
I never said her choice was secondary to the state. I did say her choice is secondary to everyone else in the state. In other words, she has no right to obligate the taxpayers to take care of that child.
How did people start arguing about whether or not abortion is a moral choice on a story about someone being denied the right to make her own choice, regardless? Everyone here who is pro-choice or pro-life agrees that the teen should be allowed to keep the baby as she wants. Although, it does seem there are a few arschlochs here who want to punish her by denying her any sort of aid in raising that child.
Meanwhile, I do hope the law takes her side, because technically, the law considers children to be the property of their parents. I am worried that they may use the loophole argument that the parents haven't been in her life so they don't get a say, because that will make it all the harder for the next teen who gets pregnant to keep the same choice.
who cares, this stupid 16 year old is going to get what she wants anyway. Just another idiot in the batter, her generation has most of them. She doesn't realize how difficult it is to care for a 5 year old when you are 21. It leads to bad parenting, bad parenting leads to bad kids, bad kids lead to stupidity, welcome to the stupid generation. Abort, and get an education....perhaps she'll be smarter about how pregnancy works next time. keep em closed!!
She won't be taking care of it. Her parents will, or grand parents. Just another idiot in the mix.
After reading the Courthouse News article (courhousenews dot com /2013/02/13/54818 dot htm) that sebrad linked, it seems this girl should also be obtaining a restraining order and seeking emancipation. I am completely pro-choice but it's her choice, NOT her parents. Yes, she and the baby's father have a really difficult road ahead of them by choosing to keep the baby, but with the complete support of family, etc. they can make it and the baby can thrive. It takes a village.
but the village dont want to help. she is too young
It takes a village to ruin society.
It doesn't sound like her parents want the expense of her stupidity, ews. Apparently, they don't feel she is a very responsible person. I still think they should file for emancipation and let her go it alone.
Accordingly, they will be giving up a grandchild, which normally, one loves very much, however, they are not willing to raise this child and they shouldn't have to.
The parents haven't been raising their own child. Why does everyone keep going back to the arguement the parents don't want to take care of the unborn grandchild? THEIR 16 year-old daughter moved out seven months ago and became pregnant nine weeks ago. Had the parents been parenting, perhaps their daughter wouldn't have moved in with her boyfriend and his family thus she would have never become pregnant in the first place.
I'm pro-choice. This young girl has made her choice. It will not be an easy path, but it is her CHOICE. I, too, believe she needs a restraining order asap.
So now where is the father or this baby and his parents??????
I have a cousin who at 16yo had a child. She doesn't want the child,period. She's too busy wanting to party and hang out with friends and spend the weekend elsewhere. So who's caring for this child? Her Dad. He's done raised one and has 2 more of his own and now he has to take care of hers.
courhousenews dot com /2013/02/13/54818 dot htm
That site has more info about your questions. I promise the girls parents won't be raising the baby. She is most likely end up with a restraining order against one or both.
Simple fix here show her where the door is cut that checkbook off support the baby on your own.
Yeah, but they'll force the parents to take care of the baby.
How can they force the adult parents to take care of their daughter's baby? Don't think so.
I know several "grandparents" who are raising their granchildren. It's not fair, they already raised the kid. They have their grandchildren because they love the child -- not necessarily have the baby's mother/father in their lives. It is difficult for them. One is a crack child with multiple disabilities (and expenses), and the other is really quite normal, not sure exactly why the baby's parents aren't in the picture. The third -- father didn't want the child, mother died at 32 of ovarian cancer. Still, it causes grandparents who should be retired to continue working, not really being a "grandparent" and having to use every financial aide including their retirement funds to raise someone else's "oops".
As someone that supports choice, it is pathetic that the parents want to force her to have an abortion. It is her body and her choice even if she is only 16 years old. Something must be wrong with the parents, because why has she been living with her grandmother anyway? She needs to stay away from her parents and also deny them any contact with the child once it is born. If she is determined to have the baby, she will also figure out a way to provide the best of care for the child. Maybe she will choose to give the child up for adoption and not even raise the child. Either way though it is not her parents choice. I hope whoever the father is steps up and is responsible both emotionally and financially. She will have a hard road, but it is her choice and everyone just has an opinion and that is where it stops an opinion. If she wanted to have an abortion and her parents did not want her to, she would go get one somehow but again it is her choice and she has made it, so get over it. I personally wish her well through the rest of her pregnancy and raising her child. If the parents want to force an abortion, then the pregnant girl needs to divorce them out of her life.
The parents actions / proposed actions are deplorable. However, a child is unable or incapable of providing for the baby physically, emotionally, financially, etc. It is her right to have sex. It is her right to have a baby. It is not her right to force another baby into the taxpayers welfare system.
@Mom in Illinois; really?? who do you think will raise the kid and pay for the deliver and everything else.. not the grandparents that's for sure....but then maybe you have enough money to hire someone to do all that for you!
well, she is 16?? she wants to have the baby??? very courageous?? who is going to take care of her and the baby??? i bet its the parents?? if they cant afford it, or dont want the responsibility, it is their right to abort it, she is a juvenile and under her parents roof and control??? screw politically correct, lets get to common sense????
the taxpayers are going to foot the bill on this one.
The taxpayers or parents will foot the bill.
Even if the father doesn't want anything to do with the baby and the state steps in for child support, it can go for years before he's made to pay 1 dollar. I know, as my brother is now taking care of his daughters child that she admits she doesn't want but had it because its her right. He's not received hardly anything from the father even with the state threatening jail,his child support is $250 per month.Thats not crap when 1 bag of diapers is $10-$15 and baby formula and food has gone through the roof. Its BS. Parents raise their kids and look forward to the day all the children grow up and move out, now parents have to take over the responsibilities of their kids and do it another 18 years.
She dont have no say. she is a child. cant and does not understand the consequences.
of such an adult choice.
While I find the parents actions abhorrent, there is something to be said for if you cannot take care of it physically, emotionally or financially, you can't keep it.
As soon as we give the right to young adults to sue - we should also give them responsibility. Whatever age chosen should be equal e.g. sue at 16 also be tried at 16.
c'mon planned parenthood...... show your colors.... you really are just "abortions r us "
Very Sad. There are more options like Adoption. I am thankful i am here. I was an unplanned pregnancy and was adopted at 6 weeks.
Enma3.... read the article again. It is the MOTHER that had 4 abortions, not the daughter.
The parents actions / proposed actions are deplorable. However, a child is unable or incapable of providing for the baby physically, emotionally, financially, etc. It is her right to have sex. It is her right to have a baby. It is not her right to force another baby into the taxpayers welfare system.
Well, best of luck to her and the father of her child....uncle Sam.
This girl needs to seriously take a look at what her life may become due to a child at 16.
She's in no position to support it and the parents don't have to either. Why should they.
While it is the girls decision she could ruin her life by having it.
I'm assuming that if she has it she's keeping it. However adoption would be preferred to abortion, or her trying to be an adult at 16.
The 16 year old should be spayed.
This young lady is showing what was once true mother spirit an unconditional love of her child. Regardless of who the father is the baby is hers as well and she wants it, parents butt out!
Too bad some of the mothers of the umpteen hundreds of thousands of aborted babies don't take a page from her book.
you go girl
She should be glad she isn't my daughter. I would go to court and disown her. My daughter was pregnant and not wed and told her she could not come home until she was married. She was married 2 weeks later and she came home. A child must find out there is consequences to there actions. That is what is wrong with this country today no one wants to accept responsibility for their actions anymore. A child under 18 is not an adult and should not have the same rights of an adult.
The parents are trying to force their daughter to kill their grandchild? Wow, we have gone insane.
You know i find it absolutely stupid with all the contraceptives available today and that teens sees what happens to teens once a baby comes along how their lives will never be their own again that in this day and age they still end up pregnant and its the girl and her parents that end up hating one another. Her wants nothing to do with her he blames his wife she blames him dont hold the baby daddy responsible to him she wanted it she got it the end. Sex ed in school at home and with friends will help this madness ( i hope)
Your post is rather confusing.
While contraceptives are readily available to both women and men, I don't think it is any more appropriate to force them to use them any more than it is to force a female to have an abortion.
On the other hand, it is no less appropriate for a female to bring a child into this world with no ability to support the child emotionally, physically or financially.
Obviously I don't believe in forcing an aboration on anyone.
But I also don't like having to pay for bad parent(s) and their troubled progeny forever either. This girl doesn't sound like she's going to be a great parent. Hopefully I'm wrong but.............
Who is going to pay for her Dr's appts? Delivery? Diapers, forumula? Child Care? If she doesn't finish high school how is she going to support them?
so what's the answer?
The system. EBT,Medicaid,WIC and all those other programs that are stretched thinne and thinner each year. Taxes will have to be raised from the old, middle class and poor to continue these programs. As the wealthy have CPA's to avoid paying into such wasteful and government dependent programs.
Really Jim?
Let's start with the fact the top 1% of income earners pay 37% of taxes, the top 10% pay 70% of taxes and the bottom 47% pay none. We can move on to the fact that under Obama, the programs you mentioned have been expanded to more than 70 million people. For clarification, the program did not remain stagnant and more people met existing requirements. The program was expanded (and promoted via billboards, print ads, online, etc) to a multiple of the poverty line.
A social safety net is a vital part of a moral society. However, a safety net that is too comfortable is a drag on society.
Her parents have health insurance, assuming her dad doesn't cancel it. More info here:
courhousenews dot com /2013/02/13/54818 dot htm
This young lady has the right to choose to have her baby. But let's be clear there are other "rights" that come along with that choice....the "right" to get, keep and pay for appropriate housing for you and your child. The "right" to get a job and try to get an education while raising your child. The "right" of being a parent and loving someone more than you love yourself and having them one day sue you for "rights" they are not prepared to handle.