In July, Alabama legislators passed what could be the nation's most restrictive anti-abortion law targeting minors. If a teenager was seeking an abortion, this new law would allow the district attorney to call witnesses to weigh in on whether she is fit to actually make that decision. It would also allow the teen's fetus to have an attorney who could also call character witnesses.
The reason a teenager would have to face a courtroom in the first place is thanks to a law dating back to 1987, which requires one parent's consent before a minor gets an abortion. The Supreme Court upheld the law so long as judicial bypass — a procedure that allows teens to argue their case in court — was in place. Since then, judicial bypass has become the last obstacle between anti-abortion advocates and the state's near eradication of the procedure.
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