Judge allows Ariz. late-term abortion ban to take effect

Aug 1 2012

A federal judge ruled Monday that Arizona's ban on most abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy can stand. The judge said the law doesn't stop women from getting abortions, but that it may make some women consider the procedure earlier in their pregnancies.

The Associated Press: Judge Says Arizona's Abortion Ban Can Take Effect
Arizona's ban on abortions starting at 20 weeks of pregnancy is poised to take effect this week after a federal judge ruled Monday that the new law is constitutional. U.S. District Judge James Teilborg says the statute may prompt a few pregnant women who are considering abortion to make the decision earlier. But he says the law is constitutional because it doesn't prohibit any women from making the decision to end their pregnancies (Billeaud and Davenport, 7/30).

Reuters: Judge Clears Arizona Late-Term Abortion Ban
A federal judge refused on Monday to block an Arizona law banning most abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, saying it does not impose a "substantial obstacle" to the procedure, and cleared the way for the statute to take effect on Thursday. The ruling marked a stinging legal defeat for abortion-rights advocates who cited the Arizona law as the most extreme example of late-term abortion prohibitions enacted in more than half a dozen states, and they vowed to immediately appeal the decision. U.S. District Judge James Teilborg ruled that the measure, passed by the Republican-controlled state legislature and signed into law in April by Republican Governor Jan Brewer, was consistent with the standards that federal courts have set on limits to late-term abortions (Schwartz, 7/30).