Are Courts Prepared to Handle Judicial Bypass Proceedings?
By Melissa Jacobs My older sister got pregnant when she was seventeen. My mother pushed her against the wall, slapped her across the face and then grabbed her by the hair, pulled her through the living room out the front door and threw her off the porch. We don’t know where she is now. My little sister was raped. Our parents are somewhere in Mexico, but I don’t know if I can find them. My mother is in the hospital with my older brother. He’s dying of cancer. She’d support my decision, but I can’t tell her about this right now. She’s already gone through so much. . . Dad left us a long time ago and I have no idea where he is. For some pregnant minors, parental involvement in the abortion decision is either impossible or ill-advised. Pregnant minors may have learned through experience that notifying parents can lead to physical abuse, homelessness, or both. Some are victims of incest or report that a parent will force them to continue a pregnancy even if it is the result of rape. Others
