I Thought I Had Seen It All Until Alabama Started Taking Pregnant Teens To Court
It's a good thing Jessica Williams is hilarious because what Alabama is doing is the opposite of funny.
We've hit a new level of WTF.
At this point, we're used to anti-abortion bills flying around Congress and state legislatures like they're all that matter. Let's hear it for misplaced priorities! But every once in awhile you see one that is so outrageous, it makes you do a double take.
In Alabama, a pregnant teen who wishes to seek an abortion must receive parental consent. If she can't get that consent, she can go to court.
A 2014 state law allows the court to appoint an attorney for the unborn fetus and actually put the teen on trial.
Excuse me while I try to wrap my head around an unborn fetus having a lawyer.
WHAT.
Basically, the lawyer can keep appealing until it's too late for the girl to legally get an abortion. How is *that* legal?
Hahaha. I'm laughing and crying at the same time. Mainly just crying.
AKA what a huge waste of taxpayer dollars!
We had our fact-checkers all over this one, and it's very real. Not only does it all seem so outrageous from a legal standpoint, but it's just another way politicians can humiliate pregnant teenagers who are in need of help — not judgment. So disappointing.