O’Connor gives views on teen-age abortions

WASHINGTON (AP) – Supreme Court nominee Sandra Day O’Connor, completing three days of confirmation hearings, declined to endorse the idea teen-agers should be denied abortions unless they have a parent’s permission. However, she told the Senate Judiciary Committee Friday she believes teen-agers should voluntarily consult with their parents before having abortions. Mrs. O’Connor’s refusal to call for mandatory parental consent for abortions or receipt of birth control information came during a final exchange with her principal adversary on the committee, Sen. Jeremiah Denton, R-Ala. In most cases, the Supreme Court has ruled that states may not require doctors to obtain the consent of a teen-ager’s parents before performing a requested abortion. In answer to questions about abortions for teen-agers, Mrs. O’Connor said, “It i~ my personal view that I would want the child to consult the parents .” Conservatives on the committee pursued Mrs. O’Connor to the end on her specific views on abortion without getting the kind of answers they really wanted. She made it clear on several occasions that she personally opposes abortion, but gave_no hint as to how she might vote on the explosive issue as a Supreme Court justice. The 51-year-old Arizona appeals court judge apologized for not being more specific on abortion and a variety of other issues but politely and repeatedly said that to do so might prejudice rulings she might make . After using an extra half hour in an attempt to pin down