Richard North Patterson

About the author: Richard North Patterson is the author of numerous legal thrillers, including Protect and Defend, a fictional novel about late-term abortion and parental-consent laws.

Research for a fictional novel about abortion uncovered inconsistencies between pro-life arguments and reality. The pro-life lobby argues that late-term abortions result from irresponsible mothers who decide late in their pregnancies that they do not want the child. However, medical experts contend that late-term abortions are rarely performed and usually only in cases of severe fetal abnormalities or when the mother's life is threatened. Pro-life advocates also endorse parental-involvement laws, which are intended to promote family trust. However, a young girl who is afraid of her parents' reaction to her pregnancy is more likely to risk a backalley abortion than face...