February 21, 2012
Alabama Court Issues Landmark Ruling
In a landmark legal case that established the right of a mother to sue if her unborn child wrongfully dies before viability, today the Alabama State Supreme Court unanimously ruled that "each person has a God-given right to life." A concurring opinion issued by four judges specifically stated that Roe v. Wade's viability standard "should be rejected by other states until the day it is overruled by the United States Supreme Court." Read more...
February 11, 2012
Ginsburg Questions Roe v Wade Timing
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg suggested that her predecessors on the high court mistimed the milestone 1973 Roe v. Wade case that legalized abortion nationwide. "It's not that the judgment was wrong, but it moved too far too fast," Ginsburg said. Alluding to the persisting bitter debate over abortion, Ginsburg said the justices of that era could have delayed hearing any case like Roe while the state-by-state process evolved. Alternatively, she said, they could have struck down just the Texas law, which allowed abortions only to save a mother's life, without declaring a right to privacy that legalized the procedure nationwide. Read more...
February 07, 2012
Judge Upholds Texas Sonogram Abortion Law
A federal judge upheld the Texas law requiring women to have a sonogram before having an abortion, saying an appeals court had forced him to declare the law constitutional. District Judge Sam Sparks had previously struck down parts of the law, but his latest ruling said he's bound to follow the direction of the New Orleans-based appeals court. Read more...
N.D. Law Banning Medication Abortions Challenged
A North Dakota law that prohibits abortion doctors from using a drug that was not designed for abortion procedures is being challenged in court, and has been temporarily blocked by a state judge. The law specifically targets misoprostol, also known as cytotec, a drug which was created to treat gastric ulcers. The drug is useful to abortion doctors because it has the effect of softening the cervix and inducing contractions. Read more...
February 06, 2012
Court Rules Against Marcavage Lawsuit
A federal appeals court in Philadelphia has ruled that an anti-abortion protester arrested near the Liberty Bell in 2007 can't collect damages from park rangers who detained him. The three-judge panel upheld a lower-court ruling to dismiss 32-year-old Michael Marcavage's lawsuit against two Independence National Historic Park rangers. The suit stemmed from Marcavage's arrest after he refused to move his protest to another area of the park. Read more...
February 03, 2012
Planned Parenthood Sues Tennessee Health Dept.
Two Planned Parenthood affiliates are suing Tennessee Health Department Commissioner John Dreyzehner in federal court. The lawsuit came after the health department abruptly canceled two competitively bid contracts with the groups to provide preventative services for HIV and syphilis. Last summer, the Planned Parenthood affiliates lost $1.1 million in family planning funding. Read more...
Parents End Request for Forced Abortion
The parents of a 32-year-old pregnant woman, known only as Mary Moe, have officially withdrawn their request to subject their daughter to a forced abortion and sterilization. Moe, who suffers from schizophrenia and bipolar mood disorder, was being treated in a Massachusetts hospital. When she became pregnant, doctors were purportedly concerned that her medications could harm the unborn child. So they recommended an abortion. However, Moe is a Catholic and she has expressed vocal opposition to abortion. Read more...
January 30, 2012
2nd Judge Slaps Down Fed Motions on Protestor
A federal judge in Denver has slapped down 10 motions made by federal prosecutors against a peaceful abortion protester in a case that observers say has far-reaching ramifications for those engaging in demonstrations of just about any type. The Obama administration had assigned five federal prosecutors to go after Ken Scott, a pro-life advocate who passes out flyers and other information outside of a Planned Parenthood clinic in Denver. Read more...
January 27, 2012
Judge Denies Effort to Block Colorado Pro-Lifer
A judge has denied the federal government's request to keep a longtime anti-abortion protester from being able to stop cars and talk to drivers as they enter Denver's Planned Parenthood center. U.S. District Judge Philip Brimmer rejected the Justice Department's argument that Kenneth Scott's actions make it "unreasonably difficult" for patients and employees to get to the clinic. Read more...
