Public Comment Sought on Amended Rules & Forms Concerning Judicial Consent to Minor’s Abortion

 The Ohio Supreme Court’s new service last Friday announced that “amendments are being proposed to rules and forms concerning judicial consent to an abortion by a minor without notification of a parent, guardian, or custodian.

   The changes will bring the rules in line with recent legislative changes, more specifically:

• Am. H.B. 63, passed Nov. 4, 2011, becoming effective Feb. 3, 2012, and requiring courts to find by “clear and convincing evidence” whether a minor is sufficiently mature and well enough informed to decide intelligently whether to have an abortion and whether the abortion is in the best interests of the minor. The new evidentiary standard being added to Sup.R. 23.1, Form 23.1-A, and Form 23.1-B. (See Legislative Service’s final analysis)

• Sub. H.B. 247, passed Dec. 12, 2012, and becoming effective Mar. 22, 2013, eliminating a juvenile’s ability to file a petition or application for an abortion in the juvenile court in the county where the abortion will be performed, the option being deleted from the instructions for Sup.R. 23 and Form 23-A, Sup.R. 23.1  and Form 23.1-A, and Sup.R. 24 and Forms 24-A and 24-B.  (See Legislative Service’s final analysis)

  Amendments to the Rules of Superintendence for the Courts of Ohio cover Sup.R. 23-25 and Forms 23-A through 25-A and can be viewed here.

  The Court will accept public comments until April 2, 2014, submitted in writing to:

                         John VanNorman, Senior Policy & Research                         Counsel
Supreme Court of Ohio
65 South Front Street, 7th Floor
                       Columbus, Ohio  43215-3431
or john.vannorman@sc.ohio.gov 
(include your full name and mailing                                       address in any comments submitted by                                  e-mail.