Judge: Ind. Can See Minor's Medical Records
In a very unfortunate case, once again coming out of Indiana, (see the case about two Wiccan parents who were told they were prohibited from brining up their child Wiccan, for more fun from Indiana) a judge with one fell swoop, negated decades of confidentiality laws and protections for teens who go to Planned Parenthood expecting discretion.
Unlike the Wiccan case, this one is not so clear cut. The Wiccan case will likely be quickly overturned as the act of an uninformed judge who slept through First Amendment law classes. This one, given the animosity towards women's reproductive rights in general, and an assault on confidentiality specifically, it may not be so simple to reverse this one. The political climate and weight of a republican majority will make this one a lot more difficult.
Of course, a ruling such as this will keep those most vulnerable and in need of assistance from seeking that help if they know that their most private information is going to the Indiana Attorney General and will no longer be confidential. Yet another betrayal of victims in our society.
Judge: Ind. Can See Minor's Medical Records: " Judge: Ind. Can See Minor's Medical Records By KEN KUSMER Associated Press Writer (AP) - INDIANAPOLIS-An Indiana judge ruled Tuesday that Planned Parenthood of Indiana must turn over to the state the medical records of its patients under 14. Marion County Superior Court Judge Kenneth Johnson sided with the Indiana attorney general's office in its quest to examine the medical records of 84 young patients. Planned Parenthood tried to stop the seizure, arguing that investigators were on a "fishing expedition," possibly to identify the partners of sexually active 12- and 13-year-olds. None of the 84 patients has received an abortion, according to Planned Parenthood. The attorney general's office has said that its Medicaid fraud unit "is investigating whether or not children were neglected by virtue of a failure to report instances of child molestation to the proper authorities."
(Via Findlaw.)