Court Opinion

ID: 9669757
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 03:09:00.438395+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:16:00.127998
License: Public Domain

Gerrard, J.,
concurring.
Based on the scant evidence before us, I concur with the majority’s determination that the minor in the instant case did not demonstrate by clear and convincing evidence the level of maturity required by statute to give informed consent for an abortion and that she did not demonstrate that notification of a parent would not be in her best interests.
I write separately to point out that while the evaluation of the maturity of minors in judicial bypass proceedings is difficult enough for a trial or appellate judge, the task is made even more difficult when that evaluation hinges solely on the testimony of a minor and, particularly, on her ability to articulate her understanding of complex medical procedures and the risks associated therewith.
When asked to communicate to the trial judge an understanding of the medical procedure involved, of the associated risks, or of the alternatives to abortion, Anonymous 2 responded *491with answers not out of the norm for a 15-year-old in a strange, formal environment, i.e., a courtroom or judge’s chambers. Even though Anonymous 2 testified that she spoke with at least one adult counselor regarding the alternatives to abortion, the medical procedure, and the risks associated with abortion, the record did not contain the testimony of any adult regarding the minor’s understanding and ability to make a fully informed choice, taking into account both the immediate and the long-range consequences with respect to the abortion decision. See Bellotti v. Baird, 443 U.S. 622, 99 S. Ct. 3035, 61 L. Ed. 2d 797 (1979).
Thus, in light of the evidence adduced at the judicial bypass hearing, i.e., the testimony of Anonymous 2, the majority correctly determined that this 15-year-old minor failed to prove by clear and convincing evidence that she was “mature and capable of giving informed consent to the proposed abortion.” Neb. Rev. Stat. § 71-6903(1) (Reissue 1996).