ORLANDO, Fla. -- A state appeals court upheld a decision that a guardian could not be appointed for the fetus of a mentally disabled rape victim, striking another blow to Gov. Jeb Bush's bid to extend guardianship rights to unborn children.
The 5th District Court of Appeal in Daytona Beach ruled late Friday that Orange County Judge Lawrence R. Kirkwood properly denied a woman's bid to be named guardian for the fetus, which has since been born.
Nowhere in the Florida statutes discussing guardianship are fetal rights mentioned, Judge Richard B. Orfinger wrote in his majority opinion. He also noted that the Florida Supreme Court had previously rejected the argument that a fetus is a person.
Abortion rights advocates have accused Bush of pushing the case to try to open the door to broadly appointing guardians for fetuses, possibly as a way to prevent abortions.
more…
http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-disabled-rape-victim,0,2842702.story?coll=sns-ap-nationworld-headlines