They Didn't Want to Have C-Sections. A Judge Would Decide How They Gave Birth. [View all]

They Didn’t Want to Have C-Sections. A Judge Would Decide How They Gave Birth.
by Amy Yurkanin, ProPublica, with photography by Sarahbeth Maney for ProPublica
March 14, 2026, 5:00 am




These highlights were written by the reporters and editors who worked on this story.


On the afternoon of Sept. 9, 2024, Cherise Doyley was in her 12th hour of contractions at University of Florida Health in downtown Jacksonville when a nurse came in with a bedsheet and told her to cover up. A supervisor brought a tablet to Doyley’s bedside. Gathered on the screen were a judge in a black robe and several lawyers, doctors and hospital staff.

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The hospital and state attorney’s office wanted to force Doyley to undergo a cesarean section. Doyley, a professional birthing doula, didn’t want that and had been firm about it. She’d had three prior C-sections, one that resulted in a hemorrhage, and hoped to avoid another serious complication and lengthy recovery. She was aware that doctors were concerned about the risk of uterine rupture, a potentially deadly complication for her and her baby. She would say during the hearing that she understood the risk to be less than 2% and didn’t want to agree to a C-section unless there was an emergency.

But the choice would not be hers. The judge would decide how she would give birth.



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https://www.propublica.org/article/florida-court-ordered-c-sections