Florida won't appeal ruling on girl's abortion

Jeb! and his cronies have, as of a few hours ago, given up their ridiculous battle to stop a 13 year-old girl from having an abortion.

Yesterday, Judge Alvarez ruled that she could have the abortion, but then an appeal was made just hours after the decision.

A 13-year-old Palm Beach County foster child at the center of a legal
battle over her right to end an unwanted pregnancy got permission from a
judge Monday to get an abortion — but was thwarted shortly afterward when
state child-welfare officials appealed.

Palm Beach Circuit Judge Ronald Alvarez, who only last week temporarily
blocked the girl’s decision to terminate her pregnancy, ruled late Monday
that the teenager may obtain an abortion, said Maxine Williams, the
girl’s attorney at Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County. The girl is
identified in court papers only as L.G.

‘’Judge Alvarez did issue an order saying she is competent,'’ said Howard
Simon, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida,
which also represents the girl. “She has made a decision. She has a right
to exercise that decision. And, acting on her decision is in her best
interests."

By appealing Alvarez’s order Monday, the DCF was granted an automatic
stay of his ruling. Under a procedural rule, state agencies are entitled
to a stay of any court ruling they appeal. But, acting on a request from
L.G.’s attorneys, Alvarez lifted that stay and ordered the DCF to
transport L.G. to a medical clinic.

DCF officials then ‘’refused'’ to drive the girl to a clinic to end her
pregnancy, said Williams, the girl’s attorney.

Alvarez then signed an order allowing L.G.’s attorneys at Legal Aid to
transport her to a medical clinic, Williams said. The lawyers were on
their way to pick up the girl when they got word: The DCF had appealed
Alvarez’s order allowing the lawyers to transport L.G. and, once again,
had received an automatic stay, this time from the Fourth District
Court of Appeal.

The stay was granted so late in the day that L.G.’s attorneys had no
time to act. The procedure was halted, Williams said.

Then today, Jeb! said that the state will not appeal.

And of course, the money quote from this article:

"Isn't it an indication of a strange state of affairs in Florida that
we should be grateful that the governor has agreed to obey the law?" said
Howard Simon, the ACLU's Florida executive director.

How can they possibly say they have the girl's best interests in mind when they are putting her through this crap?