Judge in Washington orders feds to keep abortion pill access
U.S. Court Watch
A federal judge in Washington state on Friday ordered U.S. authorities not to make any changes that would restrict access to the abortion medication mifepristone in 17 Democratic-led states that sued over the issue, countering a ruling by a judge in Texas on the same day that ordered a hold on federal approval of the drug.
The dueling decisions threw into question access to the nation’s most common method of abortion, one that scientists have approved for use for decades.
U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk, a Trump administration appointee in Amarillo, Texas, signed an injunctio n directing the Food and Drug Administration to stay mifepristone’s approval while a lawsuit challenging the safety and approval of the drug continues. That ruling came in a lawsuit brought by the conservative group Alliance Defending Freedom.
In Washington state, Spokane-based Judge Thomas O. Rice, an Obama administration appointee, partially granted a request from 17 states and the District of Columbia. While the states sued in an effort to expand access to the pill, Rice did not go that far — instead, he blocked the FDA from making any changes to the drug’s access in the states that sued.
Related listings
-
Judge: People can sell candy, cakes, cookies without license
U.S. Court Watch 01/01/2023A Dane County judge has ruled that people can sell a wide range of homemade food without a commercial license or kitchen.Judge Rhonda Lanford issued the decision earlier this week, the Wisconsin State Journal reported Saturday. The ruling expands the...
-
Georgia high court reinstates ban on abortions after 6 weeks
U.S. Court Watch 11/25/2022The Georgia Supreme Court on Wednesday reinstated the state’s ban on abortions after roughly six weeks of pregnancy, abruptly ending access to later abortions that had resumed days earlier.In a one-page order, the justices put a lower court rul...
-
Texas to execute man for killing ex-girlfriend and her son
U.S. Court Watch 11/16/2022A Texas inmate seeking to stop his execution over claims of religious freedom violations and indifference to his medical needs is scheduled to die Wednesday evening for killing his pregnant ex-girlfriend and her 7-year-old son more than 17 years ago....