ADF, allies allowed to defend Okla. law that informs pregnant women before abortion
Lawsuit by abortionists seeks to prevent mothers from seeing true nature of abortion
Wednesday, Jan 26, 2011
OKLAHOMA CITY — Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund and Jubilee Campaign’s Law of Life Project were issued an order from the bench Monday granting their motion to intervene, allowing them to defend against a lawsuit waged by abortionists against Oklahoma’s new informed consent law. The law, passed last April, requires that mothers be presented with an ultrasound of their preborn children before any abortion procedures are administered.
Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson appointed ADF-allied attorney Teresa Collett, a law professor at the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis, as a special attorney general in the suit, while other attorneys with ADF and Jubilee Campaign who represent women who have been victimized by abortion asked the state trial court to allow the group to intervene in defense of the newly passed act.
“Giving women all of the information they need prior to making such a weighty decision is far more important than an abortionist’s bottom line,” said ADF Senior Counsel Steven H. Aden. “Those attacking this law are obviously more concerned about financial gain than the best interests of women and their preborn children.”
In April, the Oklahoma Legislature passed an informed consent provision through an act that requires pregnant women seeking an abortion to undergo an obstetric ultrasound at least one hour prior to having an abortion performed--including any anesthesia or medication taken in preparation of the lethal procedure. During the ultrasound, images of the preborn baby must be displayed and described to the women, unless she declines to see them.
Following passage of the law, Nova Health Systems challenged the constitutionality of the act, making several unsubstantiated claims. ADF attorneys argue that all of the provisions stated within the law are constitutional, including the pre-abortion requirements of informed parental consent and mandatory ultrasounds.
Jubilee Campaign’s General Counsel Samuel B. Casey, one of nearly 1,900 attorneys in the ADF alliance, and ADF attorneys acting as co-counsel filed their motion to intervene on behalf of American Victims of Abortion in Nova Health Systems v. Edmondson II with the District Court of Oklahoma County.
Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson appointed ADF-allied attorney Teresa Collett, a law professor at the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis, as a special attorney general in the suit, while other attorneys with ADF and Jubilee Campaign who represent women who have been victimized by abortion asked the state trial court to allow the group to intervene in defense of the newly passed act.
“Giving women all of the information they need prior to making such a weighty decision is far more important than an abortionist’s bottom line,” said ADF Senior Counsel Steven H. Aden. “Those attacking this law are obviously more concerned about financial gain than the best interests of women and their preborn children.”
In April, the Oklahoma Legislature passed an informed consent provision through an act that requires pregnant women seeking an abortion to undergo an obstetric ultrasound at least one hour prior to having an abortion performed--including any anesthesia or medication taken in preparation of the lethal procedure. During the ultrasound, images of the preborn baby must be displayed and described to the women, unless she declines to see them.
Following passage of the law, Nova Health Systems challenged the constitutionality of the act, making several unsubstantiated claims. ADF attorneys argue that all of the provisions stated within the law are constitutional, including the pre-abortion requirements of informed parental consent and mandatory ultrasounds.
Jubilee Campaign’s General Counsel Samuel B. Casey, one of nearly 1,900 attorneys in the ADF alliance, and ADF attorneys acting as co-counsel filed their motion to intervene on behalf of American Victims of Abortion in Nova Health Systems v. Edmondson II with the District Court of Oklahoma County.
- Pronunciation guide: Aden (AY’-din), Collett (KOH’-let)
ADF is a legal alliance of Christian attorneys and like-minded organizations defending the right of people to freely live out their faith. Launched in 1994, ADF employs a unique combination of strategy, training, funding, and litigation to protect and preserve religious liberty, the sanctity of life, marriage, and the family.