[WND] An aborted baby for the first time in the United States has been recognized to have legal rights.An Alabama man suing a clinic for providing an abortion to a woman he says was pregnant with his baby petitioned a probate judge to allow him to represent the unborn child’s estate, reported WHNT-TV in Huntsville, Alabama.
Probate Judge Frank Barger signed off on the petition by Ryan Magers, who claims to be the father of "Baby Roe."
Brent Helms, the attorney for Magers and Baby Roe, said Barger’s decision marks the first time an aborted fetus has been recognized to have legal rights.
But WHNT said it’s not clear if Barger knew what he was granting.
In the petition, filed Jan. 25, 2019, Baby Roe is not specifically referred to as a "fetus."
WHNT said it reached out to Barger to ask if he knew he was signing off on rights for an unborn fetus, but he refused to comment.
The lawsuit in Madison County is against Alabama Women’s Center for Reproductive Alternatives LLC in Huntsville. Magers did not want the woman to have the abortion, which took place Feb. 12, 2017. Magers, who is seeking a jury trial, said he wanted to keep the baby but the mother wanted an abortion, the lawsuit claims.