Thursday, October 25, 2007

Deputies seize baby to test blood against parents' will

Deputies seize baby to test blood against parents' will - Associated Press -- Here's a nicely framed conflict between public health laws designed to protect newborns vs. parental religious beliefs, in state (Neb.) that doesn't provide a religious exemption for newborn testing. Absent a First Amendment claim (which would fail), the only constitutional argument would be a claimed infringement of the parent's liberty interest in violation of the due process clause . . . rational basis review . . . slam dunk for the county. This falls into the same class of cases involving Jehovah's Witness minors in need of a blood transfusion.

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