Court Temporarily Halts Arizona Abortion Law. "The American Civil Liberties Union has called the law the most extreme and dangerous abortion ban in the nation..............................................
A federal appeals court has temporarily halted a controversial Arizona law that would ban most abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
The decision is a victory for abortion-rights advocates who have sought to block the enforcement of the new law, which was scheduled to take effect on Thursday.
The law, which was passed by the states Republican legislature and signed by Republican Gov. Jan Brewer in April, would criminalize most abortions after 20 weeks except in medical emergencies.
The decision comes just two days after a federal judge refused to block the statute, saying it didnt impose a substantial obstacle to the procedure and was consistent with standards set by federal courts, and that Arizona had the right to enact such a law.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit granted a request by opponents of the law to temporarily halt enforcement, pending an appeal of the lower courts ruling.
The appeals court said it would expedite the appeal, and that arguments would likely be heard in the fall.
Under the Arizona law, those found guilty of violating the prohibition could be guilty of a misdemeanor and doctors could have their medical licenses suspended or revoked, according to the judges opinion issued Monday.
The American Civil Liberties Union has called the law the most extreme and dangerous abortion ban in the nation. The ACLU, along with the Center for Reproductive Rights, has been challenging the law on behalf of three physicians and their patients.
In April, when Gov. Jan Brewer signed the bill into law, she said in a news release: Knowing that abortions become riskier the later they are performed in pregnancy, it only makes sense to prohibit these procedures past twenty weeks.
A spokeswoman for Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne, who representing the state, called Wednesdays order unfortunate. The attorney generals office is reviewing its legal options and preparing for the next steps in the matter, she said.
One activist judge can twist legislated law, even to stop murder. This is why America must be destroyed. Pray for the church.
http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2012/08/01/court-temporarily-halts-arizona-abortion-law/
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