A federal appeals court blocked a sweeping Missouri law that would place tight restrictions on abortion in the state.
The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in a ruling Wednesday upheld a lower court’s injunction of the law, which would ban the procedure after eight weeks of pregnancy. The statute also specifies that an abortion cannot be performed “solely because of a prenatal diagnosis” indicating a child might have Down syndrome.
The three-judge panel ruled that Missouri s law amounted to a ban, rather than a restriction, on the procedure.
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“[T]here is nothing an individual in Missouri could lawfully do to obtain an abortion at or after the applicable gestational age cut-off,” the court wrote.
Federal appeals court blocks Missouri abortion law
Associated Press
Spanish
(June 9, 2021) - A federal appeals court panel on Wednesday blocked Missouri from enforcing a state abortion law that bans the procedures at or after eight weeks of pregnancy.
A three-judge panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis heard arguments in September in the legal battle over the 2019 law. The measure also would prohibit a woman from having an abortion because the baby has Down syndrome.
Republican Attorney General Eric Schmitt said in a statement that his son, Stephen, who has a rare genetic condition, autism and epilepsy, “has shown me the inherent beauty and dignity in all life, especially those with special needs. While we’re disappointed in the 8th Circuit’s decision, their decision does provide an avenue for this case to be heard by the Supreme Court, and we plan to seek review in the Supreme Court.”
Federal appeals court blocks sweeping Missouri abortion law
by Jim Salter, The Associated Press
Posted Jun 9, 2021 12:13 pm EDT
Last Updated Jun 9, 2021 at 12:14 pm EDT
A federal appeals court panel on Wednesday blocked Missouri from enforcing a sweeping state abortion law that bans the procedures at or after eight weeks of pregnancy.
A three-judge panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis heard arguments in September in the legal battle over the 2019 law. The measure also would prohibit a woman from having an abortion because the fetus has Down syndrome.
Yamelsie Rodríguez, president and CEO of Reproductive Health Services of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region, called the ruling “a critical victory for Missourians.”