DEL.ICIO.USThe Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 06/11/08
A Hall County woman is serving a year in jail for pretending to be a girl's mother when she signed off on the girl's abortion.
In reality, Cindi Cook was the mother of the girl's boyfriend, who also was 16 when she became pregnant in early 2007.
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Displeased that the baby would ruin her son's chance of going to college, Cook, 44, pressured the 16-year-old girl to have the abortion in the spring of 2007, found a clinic that would do it without her present, and paid for the procedure, DeKalb Solicitor General Robert James said Wednesday.
Last week, a judge sentenced Cook to a year in jail — the maximum for a misdemeanor — for interfering with custody and violating a parental notification law.
"This conduct is reprehensible," James said. "There's not a parent anywhere who'd be OK with what she did."
James said his office is now investigating whether the facility — Northside Women's Clinic in Chamblee— broke a state law that required parental notification when a girl under the age of 18 has an abortion.
According to its Web site, Northside Women's Clinic offers abortions through the 15th week of pregnancy, usually in about 10 minutes.
A woman who answered the phone Thursday morning said the clinic had no comment and did not have an attorney. She would not give her name or title.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is not identifying the girl because she is a minor.
More than a year after the abortion, "she's still struggling with the loss of the baby," said Fenn Little, her family's attorney. "She's getting better, but there's going to be a lot of counseling and issues that have to be addressed."
Through their attorney, the girl's parents issued this statement: "The actions of both Cindi Cook and the Northside Women's Clinic have affected our daughter's life with much pain this past year because of the loss of her baby. It was a sense of helplessness. As for us, they took away our right to be there and help our daughter during a time when she needed us most. The outcome of the trial is a positive step forward in the long healing process that we must go through as individuals and as a family."
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Comments
By Random
Jun 16, 2008 12:46 AM | Link to this
Ok. So...
#1, the girl isn't a minor anymore, so i dont understand why they dont use her name.
#2, she's pregnant again, by a different boy.
#3, she wasn't pressured into having an abortion. she helped write the note that the boys mother signed.
#4, the courts threw out the boys testimony, so it wasnt a fair trial.
so in general, shes too immature to take responsibility for her actions and was just trying to have her parents not look as poorly upon her.
By James
Jun 13, 2008 9:26 PM | Link to this
Why would this girl allow this woman to pressure her into having an abortion? Why wouldn't she tell her parents? I understand she may have been afraid because she obviously concealed the fact that she was sexually active with this boy. But once she is getting "pressure" from his mom, the gig is up. It's time to bring mom and dad into the picture!!!
By James
Jun 13, 2008 9:24 PM | Link to this
Why would this girl allow this woman to pressure her into having an abortion? Why wouldn't she tell her parents? I understand she may have been afraid because she obviously concealed the fact that she was sexually active with this boy. But once she is getting "pressure" from his mom, the gig is up. It's time to bring mom and dad into the picture!!!
By Atlanta Lover
Jun 12, 2008 10:23 PM | Link to this
Talibangecals. I always called them right wing politoreligionists. I like your word better. And I am a born again Christian. I am angry that they claim my religion as their own when they have perverted it so.
Religion is dangerous. It is man trying to find a way to get to God. Christianity is not a religion. It is a relationship between God and humans.
Talibangecals base their religion on rules and laws. Whose rules and whose laws may vary, but the purpose is the same. Controlling people in the name of whoever the call God.
By Atlanta Lover
Jun 12, 2008 10:20 PM | Link to this
Talibangecals. I always called them right wing politoreligionists. I like your word better. And I am a born again Christian. I am angry that they claim my religion as their own when they have perverted it so.
By Charles
Jun 12, 2008 9:47 PM | Link to this
A woman basically forced a 16-year-old to kill her baby, just because it would mess up her son's life.
And people are attacking the girl's parents?
If there was justice, this would be called what it is, murder. The mother of the boy hired the hit man, delivered the victim, and went on her way.
Even people who say that a woman has a right over her own body should be livid, because in this case the girl did NOT have control, some other person forced her to act against her wishes.
By Empress Brown
Jun 12, 2008 7:15 PM | Link to this
This boy ain't gonna be any good to anybody because his MAMA took care of his problem and didn't make him take RESPONSIBILITY for his actions. 16 or no, you still have to pay the piper. I have a 10 year-old son and had that been me, I would have made him GET A JOB and pay child support without the court's help. See, that's what wrong with these young boys today. Everybody is telling girls to "keep their legs closed" but what are we telling our boys? Nobody makes these boys take responsibility for their actions, ESPECIALLY their mothers.
By dtzulu
Jun 12, 2008 6:39 PM | Link to this
i agree with you Dee! as i watched the story on channel 2, the first thing i wondered was "where were the parents of this 16 year old girl when she was having unprotected sex with an 16 year old boy?" the parents should have been more protective of their child BEFORE all this happened, not after just to get a buck via law suits and their faces on the TV!
By Dee
Jun 12, 2008 6:12 PM | Link to this
The parents of the girl were on Channel 2 tonight blaming everyone except themselves. The girl's picture was even displayed! The parents were quick to point out their daughter was screaming and pleading to Mrs. Cook not to push her into an abortion. The real question is where were they during this ordeal?? It is always easier to blame someone else than to accept responsibility for the breakdown of communication in the home. You would think the parents would be too embarrassed to show their faces on television. Another fact is this incident took place over a year ago. Why such an uproar now...the greed of 15 minutes of fame and some cash? I did not see any or hear any sympathy toward the girl...maybe, we now know why the parents weren't advised at the time of the incident.
By DaveD
Jun 12, 2008 5:47 PM | Link to this
Why do OTHER religions threaten YOUR religion so much? Would you marry a muslim?
Your answer as to why there are so many foster children and children sitting around waiting to be adopted...and how "talibangelicals" who preach that "adoption is the way"...yet don't adopt nearly half as many children as liberal parents do....is EXACTLY why fox news is number one. SPIN! SPIN! SPIN!
ALL praise ALLAH and the easter bunny! AMEN!
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