U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman in a hearing on the Texas abortion ban law last Wednesday suspended the ‘fetal heartbeat law’ that bans abortion in all kinds of pregnancies after a heartbeat is detected in the fetus. He called the law ‘offensive deprivation of an important right’ in a 113-page ruling. Meanwhile, a recent New Orleans appeal to the court has temporarily set the suspension aside while waiting for the state’s appeal.
This decision has caused a massive uproar among reproductive rights organizations, as clinics had just started serving their patients again for a day. The Texas abortion ban or Senate Bill 8 is currently on trial due to the Biden administration’s lawsuit against the Texas government.
“Patients are being thrown back into a state of chaos and fear,” said Nancy Northup, President of the Center for Reproductive Rights, representing several Texas abortion clinics. She appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court to step in and act faster.
Out of all the abortion clinics currently active, not all clinics resumed work after the law took effect in early September. The law was fully on hold for 48 hours only, which was already a cause of concern for many under-funded clinics that ran with a fear of legal action. The Court has given the Biden administration a deadline until coming Tuesday to respond.
The Texas abortion ban law entitles any individual that reports a person or organization that “aids and abets” someone with abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detected, with $10,000 in damages.
