US Judge Blocks Parts of Idaho Abortion Ban

US Judge Lynn Winmill ruled that parts of Idaho’s near-total abortion ban are unconstitutional because the law allows abortions to save a pregnant woman’s life but not in cases involving broader serious risks to her health.

Winmill found that the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution protects the right to an abortion when necessary to preserve a woman’s health. He blocked enforcement of two Idaho laws where they prevent doctors from providing abortions to patients with serious medical conditions, including some mental health conditions.

Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador said the state would appeal and accused the judge of creating a new constitutional right to abortion.

According to lawyers for the doctor who brought the case, the decision is the first by a federal judge to recognize a constitutional right to abortion in certain circumstances since the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. The doctor’s lawyers welcomed the ruling, saying it would reduce the risk of pregnant patients dying or suffering serious injury from preventable causes.

(Reuters, Max)