Florida Judge Under Fire for Citing ‘Poor Grades’ as Reason to Deny 17-Year-Old an Abortion – By Daniel Villarreal (Newsweek) / January 25, 2022
A Florida judge has come under fire by appellate judges and social media commenters after citing “poor grades” as a reason to deny an abortion to a 17-year-old girl.
Judge Jared E. Smith of the Hillsborough County Circuit Court ruled that the girl, identified in court documents as “Jane Doe,” wasn’t mature enough to receive a “judicial bypass.” The bypass would allow Doe to receive an abortion without her parents’ approval.
In his ruling, Smith wrote that Doe had said that she makes B grades in school. However, she has a 2.0 GPA, which denotes an overall average consisting of C grades, Vice News reported. In Florida, a 2.0 GPA is considered “passing” and sufficient for graduating high school.
“Clearly, a ‘B’ average would not equate to a 2.0 GPA,” Smith wrote. “[Doe’s] testimony evinces either a lack of intelligence or credibility, either of which weigh against a finding of maturity pursuant to the statute.”
