Okla. court halts 'personhood' rights for embryos
Lawyer News
The Oklahoma Supreme Court on Monday halted an effort to grant "personhood" rights to human embryos, saying the measure is unconstitutional.
The state's highest court ruled unanimously that a proposed amendment to the Oklahoma Constitution that would define a fertilized human egg as a person violates a 1992 U.S. Supreme Court decision involving a Pennsylvania case and "is clearly unconstitutional." Supporters of the personhood amendment are trying to gather enough signatures to put it before Oklahoma voters on the November ballot.
Opponents contend the measure would ban abortions without exception and interfere with a woman's right to use certain forms of contraception and medical procedures, such as in vitro fertilization.
The American Civil Liberties Union and the New York-based Center for Reproductive Rights filed a protest with the state Supreme Court on behalf of several Oklahoma doctors and residents. They asked the court to stop the group Personhood Oklahoma from gathering signatures.
The nine-member court determined the initiative petition "is void on its face" and struck it down.
"The only course available to this court is to follow what the United States Supreme Court, the final arbiter of the United States Constitution, has decreed," the court said.
Related listings
-
'Tax lady' Roni Deutch says lawsuit is political
Lawyer News 08/25/2010"Tax Lady" Roni Deutch says California Attorney General Jerry Brown is engaging in election year politics by filing a lawsuit accusing her law firm of false advertising and misleading consumers.Deutch said in a statement Tuesday that she will fight t...
-
Renewal of Bush tax cuts could be only temporary
Lawyer News 07/23/2010Many Americans could be hit with a big tax increase in the next two or three years despite President Barack Obama's repeated promises to shield the middle class from higher rates.Democrats are hedging about making Obama's pledge stick for more than a...
-
Former Detroit mayor arraigned on federal charges
Lawyer News 07/14/2010Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick has returned to his hometown for his first court appearance since being indicted last month on tax and fraud charges.Kilpatrick was arraigned Tuesday afternoon and a not guilty plea was entered at the request of ...
Is Now the Time to Really Call a Special Education Lawyer?
IDEA, FAPE, CHILD FIND and IEPs: The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) guarantees all children with disabilities to a free appropriate public education (FAPE). FAPE starts with a school’s responsibility to identify that a child has a disability (Child Find) and create an Individualized Education Program (IEP) to suit the needs of the child.
Forte Law Group is one of only a very few law firms within the state of Connecticut that is dedicated to exclusively representing families and children with special needs.
Parents need to be persistent, dedicated and above all else aware of the many services and accommodations that their child is entitled to under the law. As early as this point within your child’s special education, many parents will often find themselves in the situation asking, “is now the time to really call a special education lawyer?” Here are a few things to consider when asking yourself that question.