A Republican Owen County judge ruled Thursday the state s near-total abortion ban, which took effect last Thursday, likely violates liberties protected by the Indiana Constitution.
Judge Kelsey Hanlon of the Owen Circuit Court, a Republican sitting as a special judge in Monroe County, listened to some 75 minutes of oral argument on the issue Monday.
Indiana lawmakers passed a near-total abortion ban, months after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade despite widespread criticism. The legislation included narrow exceptions for rape, incest, and medical conditions that threaten the mother's life.