MIAMI — Jane Doe 22-B, a 16-year-old in the care of Florida child welfare authorities, told a Florida judge she was “not ready to have a baby,” and sought a court order granting her permission to terminate a 10-week pregnancy.
The judge ruled that Jane, as she’s identified in court papers, was not “sufficiently mature to decide whether to terminate her pregnancy.” An order from an appeals court potentially will require the teen to become a mother instead.
Jane is parentless. A ruling this week by the 1st District Court of Appeal in the Panhandle said she lives with a relative and is overseen by an appointed guardian.
