Texas Anti-Abortion Law Blocked by Federal Judge

Texas was dealt a minor setback when a federal judge blocked enforcement of the Texas Heartbeat Act. The state is appealing to the Court of Appeals.

In his opinion temporarily halting the law, Judge Robert Pitman said the bill “contrived an unprecedented and transparent statutory scheme” because enforcement is effectively left to private individuals, not the state.
Texas quickly notified the court it will be appealing the ruling.
According to Axios, the ruling allows doctors to perform abortions after six weeks of pregnancy without facing a lawsuit from a private citizen.
The Biden administration, which brought the suit against Texas, praised the decision, calling it “an important step forward toward restoring the constitutional rights” of Texas women.

The New York Times highlighted the judge’s ruling in which he called the Texas law an “offensive deprivation of such an important right.”
CNN explained how the court order works, which prohibits “state court judges and court clerks” from taking any action, even just docketing lawsuits, that would be allowed under the state law.
NPR editorialized that “abortions might not instantly resume” in the state if doctors aren’t assured the litigation is “permanently resolved.”

The Washington Times noted the Texas law is not the only abortion-related case making its way through the courts. The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a challenge to Mississippi’s 15-week abortion ban this year.
Fox News reported on the lawsuit’s likely appeal to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, which is expected to reverse Judge Pitman’s stay after previously declining to hold up enforcement of the law.
Breitbart was transparent in their partisan framing, emphasizing Judge Pitman’s appointment by President Obama and that he is “known as a liberal judge.”

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