inmate in MO denied abortion

[proud2BlibKansan]

An attorney for a pregnant inmate who wants an abortion said time is running out for his client to have the procedure while the courts decide her case.

The U.S. Supreme Court. Supreme Court late Friday temporarily blocked a federal judge's ruling that ordered Missouri prison officials to drive the woman to a clinic on Saturday for an abortion.

Justice Clarence Thomas, acting alone, granted the temporary stay pending a further decision by himself or the full court.

Missouri state law forbids spending tax dollars to facilitate an abortion. However, U.S. District Judge Dean Whipple ruled Thursday that the prison system was blocking the woman from exercising her right to an abortion and ordered that the woman be taken to the clinic Saturday.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051015/ap_on_re_us/inmate_abortion

[acmejack]

1. Judical religious activism?

He should not have intervened I don't think. Anyone know?

[Missy M]

2. Justice Thomas acting alone is one scary thought.....

will the temporary stay be lifted if she can get money for transportation or will this become the right to life cause celebre.

[KitchenWitch]

5. I wonder if people would be willing to raise the funds for transportation

if that is the only issue.

[proud2BlibKansan]

7. I would gladly contribute.

[KitchenWitch]

9. Me too

[Missy M]

10. I would also gladly contribute to her transportation but it looks like...

time is running out for her unless the court acts fast.

[MidwestTransplant]

18. More particularly I wonder if the Fundies will raise funds to support

the child of an incarcerated mother....or is the kid on his own once he is born? I think we all know the answer.

[proud2BlibKansan]

6. Read the entire article

Apparently Thomas is well within his authority to issue this stay.

[Missy M]

8. I did read the entire article and I never mentioned anything...

about his authority or not to issue the stay, I just said it is a scary thought.

[proud2BlibKansan]

11. Yes it is a scary thought

especially since it is okay for him to do this.

[Missy M]

14. I was surprised to know he could act alone, I didn't realize that could..

be done on the SC. The way I read it he can still have further a decision by himself or the full court. I wonder if the full court will step in?

[Zynx]

3. It will be interesting to see how the whole court comes down on this.

[Cerridwen]

4. I'm curious

after this woman is forced to give birth, who will parent the child? Who will pay for the needs of the child? Where will the child live? Who will educate the child?

Will it be clarence thomas? Another member of scotus? Who now becomes responsible for this child once it is no longer a fetus?

[proud2BlibKansan]

12. And since it will be born in MO,

this baby will most likely get no health care. Damn Repukelicans have stripped the Medicaid program in the state.

[Cerridwen]

13. Perhaps they can start a prison nursery?

:sarcasm:

Just think of the possibilities. All those women to impregnate and forced to bear children. A whole sub-society of prison labor.

:sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm:

[proud2BlibKansan]

15. Before you start laughing,

just think of the money to be saved. Repukelicans just might embrace this idea :)

[Cerridwen]

17. Yeah, unfortunately I thought of that

generations of free prison labor - a capitalist's wet dream.

Naw, I ain't laughin'

[booksenkatz]

21. The Commander and Serena Joy, of course........... nt

[Cerridwen]

23. Oh, ewwww, just ewwww

Great. Something I hadn't yet thought of. It could be a baby producing camp instead of just slave labor. Oh joy.

:sarcasm:

[SillyGoose]

16. The woman will pay for this herself, but does not yet have $ for

the transportation costs. It would appear this issue arose due to her lack of transportation costs.

If this woman was to suddenly find the funds necessary to cover the transportation costs right now, would this stay bar her from getting the procedure, or does this stay prevent it altogether despite the financial aspect?

[proud2BlibKansan]

19. It sounds like the transportation funds are the only obstacle

The story has been all over our local media. My impression is that if she could pay to get to the health clinic, she would get her abortion.

[SillyGoose]

20. Ok, good. I feel better hearing that. You know, you would think the

prison would just go ahead and transport her due to the time constraints involved and allow her to pay them back within a certain time-frame. Looks like they are going out of their way to be hard noses about it, though.

Hopefully someone will give her the money now that this story is getting wider coverage.

[petronius]

22. So, does the law ban all elective medical procedures,

or just abortion specifically? I can understand the state's position that if a procedure is technically unnecessary then the state shouldn't bear the cost. (It's kind of bogus in this case though, because it's going to cost far more when it gets time to deliver the baby, and hopefully for appropriate pre-natal care - unless they know she'll be out in the next few months.)

However, if abortion is singled specifically, then I'd have a major problem with this policy...