A judge in Chicago expects to rule March 29 on whether to lift a temporary restraining order on a long-debated Illinois law that requires a teenage girl's parents to be told before she has an abortion.
Cook County Judge Daniel Riley heard arguments Monday from the Illinois attorney general's office and the American Civil Liberties Union, which sought the order.
Lawmakers passed the law in 1995, but it hasn't been enforced because of various court actions. The law requires doctors to notify the guardians of a girl 17 or younger 48 hours before the teen gets an abortion.
The ACLU says the law could cause irreversible damage for girls who don't feel they can safely communicate with their parents. But the AG's office says those claims are weak and Illinois encourages parental involvement.
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.
Cook County Judge Daniel Riley heard arguments Monday from the Illinois attorney general's office and the American Civil Liberties Union, which sought the order.
Lawmakers passed the law in 1995, but it hasn't been enforced because of various court actions. The law requires doctors to notify the guardians of a girl 17 or younger 48 hours before the teen gets an abortion.
The ACLU says the law could cause irreversible damage for girls who don't feel they can safely communicate with their parents. But the AG's office says those claims are weak and Illinois encourages parental involvement.
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.
