Judge says ordering of abortion was justified

Boston Globe ^ | 02/21/2012 | By Peter Schworm

[Responsibility2nd]

A family court judge who ruled that a pregnant woman with schizophrenia should undergo an abortion and be sterilized sharply defended her decision yesterday, while denouncing Boston University for withdrawing what she said was a job offer amid the controversy.

In a rare personal defense of the reasoning behind a court ruling, Christina Harms, who retired from the bench last month after 23 years, said she concluded that the woman, a 31-year-old who suffered from delusions, would choose to terminate her pregnancy if she were mentally competent, chiefly so that she could resume antipsychotic medication that would have harmed the fetus.

“I believed then, as I do now, that she would elect to abort the pregnancy to protect her own well-being,’’ she said. “She would want to be healthy.’’

Speaking in detail for the first time about the decision, which an appeals court reversed last month in unsparing terms, Harms described the case as “a tragic set of circumstances for which no outcome would have been easy or obviously correct.’’ The woman had described herself as “very Catholic’’ and expressed opposition to an abortion, while her parents were seeking consent for the procedure.

In a letter that she sent yesterday to other family court judges in Massachusetts, Harms outlined the reasons for her determination and criticized the appeals court ruling, which she called simplistic and unfair.

The appeals court ruled that the woman had clearly expressed her opposition to abortion as a Catholic, but Harms wrote that “the statements of a person suffering from schizophrenia surely cannot simply be taken at face value.’’

Harms said she has requested a meeting with the chief judge of the appeals court to register her objection to the “insulting tone’’ of the decision.

She also stated that Boston University’s law school rescinded a job offer shortly after her decision came to light, an abrupt move she said could discourage judges from making unpopular decisions.

“It strikes at the heart of what judicial independence is about,’’ she said. “We need to protect judges from the popularity of the moment.’’

A BU spokesman said yesterday that the university never officially offered the job but acknowledged that it eliminated her from consideration for the job - a new position that would guide students toward judicial clerkships - after her ruling came to light and stirred public outcry.

more....

[Mashood]

Ahhh Massachusetts... the land of many laws... nuff said.

[School of Rational Thought]

Forget China, US has its own government forced abortions

[Venturer]

This Judge can either read the minds of a woman who is mentally ill or she is a Nazi.

But is she any worse than a Secretary of Health and Human services that makes a ruling that all women must get health insurance that pays for abortions, sterilisations, and BC pills, paid for by me and millions of other Americans who do not believe in killing babies?

The real name for Nazi’s was Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei which means National SOCIALIST German Workers Party.

Take out German because we are not German and take out workers, because this party we have is all for those who do not work, and you have what Obama is trying to give us here in America right now.

[pillut48]

This was done in the past to ‘mental defectives’, etc. who had no choice in the matter...outrageous that this woman feels she can order the killing of a children because of *her* emotions about the situation, which seem to be anti-Catholic AND anti-Constitutional! So glad the appeals court caught it!

Now when is this woman losing her job as a law-creating ‘judge’??

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

Ah, ‘tis always enlightening to watch liberals defend one of their many versions of the “luminiferous aether”.

I would instead call it "Luciferous ethics".

[wagglebee]

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[Flycatcher]

Interesting.

So the judge is rendering her decision based on her uncanny ability to read what is inside another's mind.

I'm glad I'm not standing before her as a defendant.

I fear I'd be sentenced to life in prison if she could read my mind...

[ontap]

And so it continues...first make it legal for a mother to murder her own baby....then make it not only legal but advisable.....then make it easy to obtain.....then make it a government given right......then let judges order it done.The insanity continues!!!

[pillut48]

killing of a CHILD, not children, though I’d bet this isn’t the FIRST time a forced abortion has been ordered for the ‘benefit’ of the mother :-(

[Talisker]

So the mentally ill woman went off of her meds so as not to harm the baby and the judge gleens that she doesn’t want it? It seems to me that she REALLY wants it. If she can’t proprly take care of the baby (after resuming medication) they can put it up for adoption. It looks like the judge she is looking for reasons to abort.

Exactly - the decision was made by the woman while she was on the anti-psychotic meds, in order to protect the baby. The judge reversed the logic and lied about the state of mind of the woman at the time she made her decision, in order to kill the baby and set precident for murdering the babies of the mentally ill. And then she got (thankfully) bitch-slapped by the appellate court, but, being a murderous witch, now she's screeching.

Hillary's Army in action - the march of the soulless hags.

[paladinan]

I can’t help but think that her last name is appropriate and indicative...

[Mrs. Don-o]

So you think a judicially ordered abortion on an unwilling woman is OK by the Constitution?

In the USA or the PRC?

Or did you forget your /sarc/ tag?

[jwalsh07]

Sheesh, the Judge is in deep kimshi if Sam and Dean get wind of this demonic decision.

[wagglebee]

In the particular circumstances of the case I do agree with the Judge.

So, you agree that judges can order forced abortions and forced sterilization of the mentally ill?

Do you have a list of other health conditions where you think a judge should order such barbaric procedures?

[KarlInOhio]

I have not read her published legal decision on this case, but I would like to know what justification under Massachusetts and United States law she used for her decision. Or did she just blow past the law and rule on her whim? If she ruled based on some law, then that needs to be fixed legislatively. If she just ruled based on her whim, then I hope this decision hounds her for the rest of her life and beyond.

[Responsibility2nd]

After bvw came out in favor of abortion, I’ve check to see if he/she has gotten the zot.

Nope, not yet. But it is interesting his/her FReep page says....

“I’ll be in lurk mode for the indefinite future. ... Well, I try to lurk. It’s really heard to keep my yap shut.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oh. So. True!!

[Responsibility2nd]

Do you have a list of other health conditions where you think a judge should order such barbaric procedures?

 

 

Or perhaps economic conditions? Maybe bvw can argue that if the mother is a welfare queen, then it economically makes sense to abort?

[Sgt_Schultze]

How many leftys have screamed, “Keep your hands off my uterus” when protesting to make abortion ever more available? How can a pro-abort square this act with their advocacy?

[trisham]

In the particular circumstances of the case I do agree with the Judge.

**************************

Why?

[chesley]

She also stated that Boston University’s law school rescinded a job offer shortly after her decision came to light, an abrupt move she said could discourage judges from making unpopular decisions

A result MUCH to be desired, if by "unpopular decisions" she means judges meddling in political matters.

But back to the main point. Ya gotta admire the chutzpah of people anxious to play God with other people's lives.