A federal judge in South Dakota appointed during the Clinton years has found a new South Dakota abortion law unconstitutional:
A federal judge Thursday blocked a South Dakota abortion law from taking effect today, tentatively ruling that the measure is an unconstitutional violation of free speech.
The legislation would have required doctors to inform women that abortion ends the lives of "human beings" and poses various medical and psychological risks. Failure to give the informed-consent warning could have resulted in 30 days in jail and a $200 fine.
U.S. District Judge Karen Schreier of Rapid City ruled that Planned Parenthood of Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota, which sued the state, has shown it has a fair chance of winning on its claim that the proposed law infringes on the First Amendment rights of doctors.
A hearing is set for October on Planned Parenthood's request for a permanent order barring the state from enacting the law.
Recent Comments