Women Ask Court to Hear 'Donna Santa Marie' Lawsuit
By Stuart Shepard, correspondent with Family News in Focust

SUMMARY: Abortion victims ask Supreme Court to hear a case involving the right to sue abortion doctors.

Approximately 700 women who have endured the pain of abortion have filed "friend-of-the court" briefs calling on the Supreme Court to hear an important case involving the rights of women to sue abortion doctors.

Each of the women has a personal story of heartbreak. Nancy Lincoln, for instance, was 19 and single when she faced an unplanned pregnancy.

"I believe I've been hurt by abortion, and I want my story to be told," Lincoln said. "The counselor that I actually met with told me that it was just a blob of tissue, and it was really no big deal."

Only years later did the truth of her abortion sink in.

Lincoln and the other victims of abortion want the U.S. Supreme Court to hear a case out of New Jersey involving "Donna Santa Marie," a woman who said she was forced by her parents to have an abortion at age 16. Four other women are also part of the case, including Norma McCorvey and Sandra Cano -- the "Roe" in Roe v. Wade and the "Doe" in Doe v. Bolton -- the two cases that created legal abortion in the U.S.

Attorney Allan Parker, with The Justice Foundation, represents McCorvey and Cano in the suit, as well as many of the 700 women who filed legal briefs in connection with the case.

"Under New Jersey law, where the case arose, (underage victims) cannot recover for the wrongful death of their children, even though they were forced into having abortions and did not voluntarily consent," Parker said.

The Supreme Court is expected to announce whether it will hear the case later this year.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Attorneys are still collecting affidavits, so other women who have experienced abortion may still join the case. If you are interested, please call 1-800-395-HELP (4357). Or you may go to the lawsuit's Web site, and fill
out a form: http://www.operationoutcry.org

In addition, HRTL has assembled several resources for men & women who have experienced the aftermath of abortion. Call or write us for more information.