Page 5 - Aruba Today
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U.S. NEWS A5
Tuesday 26 January 2016
US court won’t let North Dakota enforce tough abortion law
JAMES MacPHERSON cuit Court of Appeals. “We Pro-abortion rights signs are seen during the March for Life 2016, in front of the U.S. Supreme Court
Associated Press knew it was unlikely and it in Washington. The Supreme Court will not allow North Dakota to enforce a law banning abortions
BISMARCK, North Dakota came as no surprise,” North when a fetal heartbeat is detected as early as six weeks into a pregnancy.
(AP) — The U.S. Supreme Dakota Attorney General
Court refused on Monday Wayne Stenehjem said of (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
to review lower court rul- the high court’s refusal to
ings overturning North Da- review the case.
kota’s ban on abortion at The Supreme Court gets
six weeks of pregnancy — about 7,500 requests each
before many women know year but takes on fewer
they’re pregnant. than 100 cases.
The justices turned away “It was a long shot,” Stene-
the state’s appeal of de- hjem said. “And it’s the end
cisions striking down the of our litigation on this issue.
2013 fetal heartbeat law Even some of staunchest
as unconstitutional. The pro-life groups agree there
law never took effect, and isn’t much more we can do
abortion-rights support- at this point.”
ers said it was the strictest The appeals panel judges
anti-abortion measure in said the laws were incon-
the country. The high court sistent with the standard
last week rejected Arkan- set by the Supreme Court
sas’ bid to enforce its own that generally ties abor-
fetal heartbeat law, ban- tion restrictions to the vi-
ning some abortions at 12 ability of the fetus. But they
weeks. Both measures had urged the Supreme Court
been struck down by a to re-evaluate its abortion
unanimous panel of three cases to take account of
judges appointed by Presi- changes in medicine and
dent George W. Bush to the science, and the wishes of
St. Louis-based 8th U.S. Cir- elected state lawmakers.q
Grand jury indicts leader behind
Planned Parenthood videos
PAUL J. WEBER ernmental record.
Associated Press The Center for Medical
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A Progress is the anti-abor-
Houston grand jury inves- tion group that released
tigating undercover foot- covertly shot videos of
age of women’s health Planned Parenthood of-
care provider Planned ficials discussing the sale
Parenthood found no of aborted fetuses for re-
wrongdoing Monday by search. A phone message
the abortion provider left with the group wasn’t
but instead indicted anti- immediately returned.
abortion activists involved Planned Parenthood of-
in making the videos that ficials swiftly hailed the in-
provoked outrage among dictment as just.
Republican leaders. “This is absolutely great
David Daleiden, founder news because it is a dem-
of the Center for Medical onstration of what Planned
Progress, was indicted on Parenthood has said from
a felony charge of tamper- the very beginning, we fol-
ing with a governmental re- low every law and regula-
cord and a misdemeanor tion and these anti-abor-
count related to purchas- tion activists broke multiple
ing human organs. Another laws to try and spread lies,”
activist, Sandra Merritt, was said spokeswoman Ro-
also indicted on a charge chelle Tafolla of Planned
of tampering with a gov- Parenthood Gulf Coast.q
