Arrr! The judge be swashbucklin', blockin' a couple o' provisions in North Carolina's new abortion law. But, alas, the 12-week near-ban still stands!
2023-09-30
Arr, me hearties! U.S. District Judge Catherine Eagles be settin' a decree on Saturday, puttin' a stop to that cursed provision demandin' surgical abortions after the wee stages o' pregnancy. Shiver me timbers, what a turn o' events!
A federal judge in North Carolina has blocked two portions of the state's new abortion law from taking effect, while most of the restrictions remain intact. The blocked provisions include a requirement that surgical abortions after 12 weeks be performed only in hospitals, and a rule that doctors must document the existence of a pregnancy within the uterus before prescribing a medication abortion. The lawsuit challenging these sections was filed by Planned Parenthood South Atlantic and a physician who performs abortions. The lawsuit also seeks clarification on whether medications can be used during the second trimester to induce labor of a nonviable fetus. The order halting enforcement of these provisions will remain in effect until the lawsuit is resolved. The abortion law, enacted in May, imposed new restrictions on abortions after 12 weeks in response to the Supreme Court's ruling on Roe v. Wade. It also added exceptions for abortions in cases of rape, incest, and life-threatening fetal anomalies. Judge Catherine Eagles, who was appointed by President Obama, wrote that the law is vague and could subject abortion providers to claims of breaking the law. She also noted that there is no rational basis for requiring surgical abortions to be performed in hospitals after 12 weeks when the same procedures are used for managing miscarriages. Abortion-rights advocates praised the ruling, while Republican legislative leaders are reviewing the order. The state Attorney General, a Democrat and abortion-rights supporter, is also a defendant in the lawsuit but agrees with blocking the provisions. The blocked provisions were intended to ensure the safety of women and prevent complications from surgical abortions, according to lawyers for Republican legislative leaders. The documentation requirement was meant to prevent ectopic pregnancies.