Federal Judge Halts Texas Law Banning Most Abortions

A federal judge Wednesday granted the Justice Department’s request to halt enforcement of the newly passed Texas law that bans nearly all abortions in the state, as the legal fight makes its way through the judicial system. 

In his 113-page ruling, Robert L. Pitman, a Federal District Court judge in Austin, sided with the Biden administration, criticizing the law and its requirements, per the New York Times.  

“From the moment [Senate Bill 8] went into effect, women have been unlawfully prevented from exercising control over their own lives in ways that are protected by the Constitution,” Pitman wrote. “This court will not sanction one more day of this offensive deprivation of such an important right.” 

As previously reported by Human Events News, the new law prevents abortion after about six weeks of pregnancy,  saying that a physician is prohibited from knowingly performing an abortion if there is a “detectable fetal heartbeat.” 

The law relies on citizens to file legal claims against abortionm providers or anyone believed to perform or assist with an abortion. 

However, the law’s legal approach extends to what happens if it is temporarily suspended. Clinics may be sued retroactively for any abortions they provide while it is blocked, which means penalties could be imposed when the suspension is lifted for abortions that were performed while it was in place. 

Thus, even though Pitman ruled in favor of the clinics, they expressed hesitation about when they may resume full activity. 

Texas told the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit that it would appeal the ruling. 

Pitman said that through its abortion law, Texas has pursued “an unprecedented and aggressive scheme to deprive its citizens of a significant and well-established constitutional right.”