In re T.W.
Florida Supreme Court
551 So. 2d 1186 (1989)
- Written by Deanna Curl, JD
Facts
Fifteen-year-old T.W. (plaintiff) became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion. Under Florida’s parental-consent law, a minor was required to obtain parental consent to obtain an abortion or seek a judicial waiver of parental consent. To obtain a judicial waiver, a pregnant minor had to prove that she was mature enough to give informed consent for the abortion or that an abortion was in her best interests. T.W. petitioned the court for a waiver, alleging that she was sufficiently mature to give informed consent, that she had a justified fear of physical or emotional abuse if she asked her parents for consent, and that requesting parental consent would impose a significant burden on her seriously ill mother. After a lower court found the parental-consent law unconstitutional, the guardian ad litem appointed for T.W.’s fetus appealed.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Shaw, J.)
Concurrence/Dissent (Grimes, J.)
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