Abortion– a safe and effective medical procedure that ends a pregnancy
Abortion Clinic-a medical facility that provides abortions as well as other services like pregnancy testing and sonograms
Appeal– a second meeting with a different judge if initial request is denied
Appeals court– a higher court that reconsiders decisions made by lower courts–many abortion restrictions are being considered in appeals court because they are thought to be unjust
Attorney– lawyer; the person who will represent you in court by explaining your situation to the judge
Chambers– the judge’s office
Clerk– the judge’s assistant with administrative work like scheduling
Crisis Pregnancy Center-an organization that attempts to counsel pregnant women against abortion while also providing medical services like pregnancy testing and sonograms
Filing– handing in a form to the clerk at the courthouse
Gestation period– amount of time since pregnancy began; stage of fetal development
in forma pauperis– a Latin term for a court statement that waives filing the fee for people who can’t afford it
Judicial Bypass-the process in which a judge approves a minor’s abortion request instead of their parents
Medication abortion– aka “abortion pill”, 2 pills that induce abortion without a procedure
Order– a written statement or direction from a judge
Sonogram– the visual image from an ultrasound examination
Telemedicine- the distribution of medication abortion to women who can’t travel to a clinic so they receive the pill from another provider and video call with an abortion provider; this is not legal in Louisiana but you may hear about it
Ultrasound– a medical scan that uses high-frequency sound waves to see live images of the inside of your body; used to confirm pregnancy by looking for fetus
Verdict– the judge’s final decision
Louisiana Judicial Bypass Project 