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A4 U.S. NEWS
Friday 6 January 2023

South Carolina Supreme Court strikes down state abortion ban

By JAMES POLLARD resenting the challengers
Associated Press/Report for have said the right to priva-
America cy encompasses abortion.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The They argued previous state
South Carolina Supreme Supreme Court decisions
Court struck down Thursday already extended the right
a ban on abortion after to bodily autonomy.
cardiac activity is detected The justices’ limited ruling
typically around six weeks left the door open for future
ruling the restriction violates changes. The state House
the state constitution’s right and Senate failed to agree
to privacy. on additional restrictions
The decision comes nearly during this past summer’s
two years after Republi- special session on abor-
can Gov. Henry McMaster tion. Still, a small but grow-
signed the measure into ing group of conservative
law. The ban, which includ- lawmakers have vowed to
ed exceptions for pregnan- push that envelope once
cies caused by rape or in- more this legislative ses-
cest or pregnancies that sion despite some Repub-
endangered the patient’s lican leaders’ insistence no
life, drew lawsuits almost agreement is possible.
immediately. Since then, le- In a statement to The As-
gal challenges have made Republican South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster addresses business leaders on Aug. 18, 2022, sociated Press, South Car-
their way through both in Columbia, S.C. olina Democratic Party
state and federal courts. Associated Press Chairman Trav Robert-
“The State unquestionably unreasonable invasions v. Wade allowed the re- Atlantic sued in July under son applauded the ruling
has the authority to limit of privacy,” Justice Kaye strictions to take place for the South Carolina con- Thursday, which he said
the right of privacy that Hearn wrote in the major- just a brief period. The state stitution’s right to privacy. amounted to “a voice of
protects women from state ity opinion. Currently, South Supreme Court temporarily Meanwhile, other states reason and sanity to tem-
interference with her deci- Carolina bars most abor- blocked it this past August have seen challenges to per the Republicans’ legis-
sion, but any such limitation tions at 20 weeks. as the justices considered a restrictions as a matter of lative actions to strip rights
must be reasonable and it Varying orders have given new challenge. religious freedom. away from women and
must be meaningful in that the law’s supporters and The high court’s momen- In South Carolina, lawyers doctors.”
the time frames imposed opponents both cause for tous decision in Dobbs v. representing the state Leg- Republican South Carolina
must afford a woman suf- celebration and dismay. Jackson Women’s Health islature have argued that House Speaker G. Murrell
ficient time to determine Those seeking abortions in Organization set off a flur- the right to privacy should Smith, Jr., wrote in a series
she is pregnant and to take the state have seen the le- ry of activity at the state be interpreted narrowly. of tweets that the state jus-
reasonable steps to termi- gal window expand to the level. Republican-domi- During oral arguments this tices “followed the path of
nate that pregnancy. Six previous limit of 20 weeks nated states moved for- past October, they argued the U.S. Supreme Court in
weeks is, quite simply, not a before returning to latest ward with new restrictions historical context suggests Roe v. Wade by creating
reasonable period of time restrictions and back again. while abortion rights’ ad- lawmakers intended to pro- a constitutional right to an
for these two things to oc- Federal courts had pre- vocates sought additional tect against searches and abortion where none ex-
cur, and therefore the Act viously suspended the safeguards. With federal seizures when they ratified ists.” Smith added the de-
violates our state Constitu- law. But the U.S. Supreme abortion protections gone, the right in 1971. Planned cision failed to respect the
tion’s prohibition against Court’s overturning of Roe Planned Parenthood South Parenthood attorneys rep- separation of powers.q

Report: Lawsuit settled in Maryland

newsroom shooting

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — ported on Wednesday that fendants had “taken rea-
The families of victims in the plaintiffs filed a joint no- sonable steps to protect
the Capital Gazette shoot- tice in court with The Sun The Capital and its employ-
ing and some newspaper and Tribune, to dismiss the ees,” the gunman “would
employees who survived claims in Anne Arundel Cir- have been detected and
the deadly 2018 attack dis- cuit Court against the news stopped prior to entering
missed civil charges against organization and its par- The Capital’s newsroom,
The Baltimore Sun and Tri- ent company on Tuesday and he may never have at-
bune Publishing this week afternoon. The negligence tempted the assault at all.”
after settling the case, the lawsuit, filed in 2021 shortly The lawsuit was consoli-
newspaper said. after the gunman, Jarrod dated with a similar claim Photos of five employees of the Capital Gazette newspaper
Gerald Fischman, Rob Hi- Ramos, was found criminal- in early 2022. After Tues- adorn candles during a vigil, June 29, 2018, across the street
aasen, John McNamara, ly responsible for the shoot- day’s filing, any dispute be- from where they were slain in the newsroom in Annapolis, Md.
Associated Press
Rebecca Smith and Wendi ing, stated that the attack tween the plaintiffs and the
Winters died in the June 28, in Annapolis was “a pre- newspaper and its parent the families of Smith and the settlement, including
2018, attack. ventable tragedy.” company is settled, Steven Fischman said Wednesday. the terms, are confidential,
The Capital Gazette re- The lawsuit said if the de- Silverman, an attorney for Everything else regarding he said.q