Texas Supreme Court blocks emergency abortion

A 31-year-old woman obtained authorization to terminate her pregnancy on Thursday after learning that her fetus had Down syndrome.

The Supreme Court of Texas, one of the most conservative American states, blocked, on Friday December 8, the emergency abortion from which a woman was to benefit due to a risky pregnancy. Attorney General Ken Paxton had appealed to the Texas Supreme Court to suspend a court decision rendered Thursday, authorizing Kate Cox, 31, to terminate her pregnancy, which threatened her fertility and her life. This suspension must be examined on the merits later.

The lead lawyer for the Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR), which represents Kate Cox in court, says she fears that the court decision, postponed, will be synonymous with refusal, “although we remain hopeful that the Court will ultimately reject the State’s request and that it will do so quickly.” “This is urgent medical care. Kate is already 20 weeks pregnant. This is why people should not beg [d’obtenir] medical care in court”, Molly Duane continued.

“Texas law prohibits voluntary abortions”

Kate Cox had confirmation last week that her fetus had trisomy 18, a chromosomal anomaly associated with serious malformations. During the emergency hearing Thursday, Judge Maya Guerra Gamble granted her the possibility of having an abortion, a rare decision in this state which applies one of the strictest laws in this area in the United States, prohibiting abortion. abortion with very rare exceptions.

“Texas law prohibits voluntary abortions”, had pointed out Attorney General Ken Paxton, affirming that the judge had “abused his power” without “no proof” while “The Texas medical expert found that Ms. Cox did not qualify for the medical exception.”

In the summer of 2022, the Supreme Court of the United States overturned its “Roe v. Wade” ruling, which had guaranteed for half a century the federal right of American women to terminate their pregnancies. Since then, around twenty states have banned abortion or severely restricted it, such as Texas, which only authorizes abortions in cases of danger of death or risk of serious disability for the mother.