Current:Home > InvestJudge allows emergency abortion in Texas in first case of its kind since before Roe v. Wade -Ascend Finance Compass
Judge allows emergency abortion in Texas in first case of its kind since before Roe v. Wade
View
Date:2025-04-14 13:05:00
A Travis County judge on Thursday ruled a woman in Texas can obtain an emergency medically indicated abortion, marking the first such intervention in the state since before Roe v. Wade was decided 50 years ago.
After the U.S. Supreme Court in 2022 overturned Roe, the landmark case that made abortion legal nationwide, Texas instituted an abortion ban with few exceptions, including life-threatening complications.
The Center for Reproductive Rights filed the case Tuesday on behalf of Dallas mom of two Kate Cox, her husband, and her OB-GYN. Cox, who is 20 weeks pregnant and whose unborn baby has Trisomy 18, a lethal genetic condition, sought the abortion because her doctors have advised her that there is "virtually no chance" her baby will survive and that continuing the pregnancy poses grave risks to her health and fertility, according to the complaint.
Cox, who hopes to have a third child, in the past month has been admitted to emergency rooms four times – including one visit since after filing the case – after experiencing severe cramping and fluid leaks, attorney Molly Duane told the court Thursday. Carrying the pregnancy to term would make it less likely that she will be able to carry a third child in the future, Cox's doctors have advised her, according to the filing.
"The idea that Ms. Cox wants desperately to be a parent and this law might actually cause her to lose that ability is shocking, and would be a genuine miscarriage of justice," Travis County District Judge Maya Guerra Gamble said as she delivered her ruling.
Cox's husband Justin and her OB/GYN, Dr. Damla Karsan, are also plaintiffs in the case against the state of Texas and the Texas Medical Board.
The case sets a historic precedent as the first case to grant relief to such a request in decades.
The ruling comes as the Texas Supreme Court weighs Zurawski v. Texas, a suit brought by 20 Texas woman who were denied abortions, many of them in similar situations to Cox's. The case alleges that vague language and “non-medical terminology” in state laws leave doctors unable or unwilling to administer abortion care, forcing patients to seek treatment out of state or to wait until after their lives are in danger. Karsan, Cox's physician, is also a plaintiff in that case, and Center for Reproductive Rights attorney Molly Duane represents plaintiffs in both cases.
Texas laws only allow an abortion in cases where "a life-threatening physical condition ... places the woman in danger of death or a serious risk of substantial impairment of a major bodily function."
Context:Texas mother of two, facing health risks, asks court to allow emergency abortion
veryGood! (79943)
Related
- Selena Gomez engaged to Benny Blanco after 1 year together: 'Forever begins now'
- Supreme Court rules ex-presidents have broad immunity, dimming chance of a pre-election Trump trial
- Authorities say 13-year-old armed with replica handgun fatally shot by police after chase in upstate New York
- Nevada verifies enough signatures to put constitutional amendment for abortion rights on ballot
- Former Syrian official arrested in California who oversaw prison charged with torture
- 'Now or never': Bruce Bochy's Texas Rangers in danger zone for World Series defense
- Why Olivia Culpo Didn't Want Her Wedding Dress to Exude Sex
- “Always go out on top”: Texas A&M Chancellor John Sharp will retire June 2025
- 2 killed, 3 injured in shooting at makeshift club in Houston
- How Erin Andrews' Cancer and Fertility Journey Changed Her Relationship With Husband Jarret Stoll
Ranking
- North Carolina justices rule for restaurants in COVID
- Former Missouri prison guards plead not guilty to murder in death of Black man
- Family fights for justice and a new law after murder of UFC star's stepdaughter
- Whitney Port Reveals How She Changed Her Eating Habits After Weight Concerns
- Appeals court scraps Nasdaq boardroom diversity rules in latest DEI setback
- Aquarium Confirms Charlotte the Stingray, of Viral Pregnancy Fame, Is Dead
- A harmless asteroid will whiz past Earth Saturday. Here's how to spot it
- Pregnant Hailey Bieber Reveals Her Simple Hack for Staying Cool in the Summer
Recommendation
Man can't find second winning lottery ticket, sues over $394 million jackpot, lawsuit says
'House of the Dragon' tragic twins get burial by chocolate with cake used for dirt
Why Olivia Culpo Didn't Want Her Wedding Dress to Exude Sex
Why Fans Are Convinced Travis Kelce Surprised Taylor Swift at Her Dublin Show
IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
Judge releases transcripts of 2006 grand jury investigation of Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking
18 Must-Have Beach Day Essentials: From Towels and Chairs to Top Sunscreens
'Now or never': Bruce Bochy's Texas Rangers in danger zone for World Series defense