A New Alabama Law Lets Judges Appoint Lawyers for Fetuses. Here’s What That Looks Like.
This spring, Alabama Republicans passed an extreme new law that would force minors who want to have an abortion without a parent’s permission to undergo a grueling court trial—and it would give judges the right to appoint a lawyer for the fetus. Last week, the American Civil Liberties Union asked a federal court to block the law, prompting national headlines.
But years before Alabama passed this new law, some state judges were already appointing lawyers for fetuses. The results weren’t pretty.
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