Federal Abortion Ban Struck Down in Court-Planned Parenthood press release

[wndycty]

Press Release
Source: Planned Parenthood Los Angeles

Federal Abortion Ban Struck Down in Court, Judge in Planned Parenthood Lawsuit Declares Dangerous Law Unconstitutional
Tuesday June 1, 1:12 pm ET

Planned Parenthood Los Angeles Applauds Decision

LOS ANGELES, June 1 /PRNewswire/ -- The federal abortion ban passed by Congress and signed into law by President Bush last year is unconstitutional and cannot be enforced, Federal District Court Judge Phyllis J. Hamilton ruled today. The ban, challenged in Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) v. Ashcroft, could have outlawed abortions as early as 12 to 15 weeks in pregnancy, including those that doctors say are safe and among the best to protect women's health. Planned Parenthood Los Angeles hailed the ruling and questioned the Bush administration's efforts to enforce the blatantly unconstitutional ban.

"Today's ruling is a landmark victory for medical privacy rights and women's health," said PPLA President and CEO Mary-Jane Wagle. "The Ashcroft Department of Justice can no longer threaten Planned Parenthood doctors with the daunting specter of criminal prosecution for putting their patients first. Decisions involving pregnancy are personal decisions for a woman and her family. Medical decisions are for her doctor to make, based on his or her professional judgment. These decisions should not be made by politicians."

Judge Hamilton's ruling prohibits Attorney General Ashcroft and his successors from enforcing the law against doctors who provide abortion services for Planned Parenthood, whether they are working at Planned Parenthood or elsewhere, doctors to whom Planned Parenthood makes referrals, and medical providers in San Francisco.
-snip-

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040601/latu068_1.html

[Beetwasher]

1. Sanity

At long last a breath of sanity...

[demnan]

2. Whoopie!

Maybe all of us marching had a real impact.

[Spazito]

3. Here is the Yahoo article, be sure and rate it up!

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040601/ap_on_re_us/abortion_lawsuits

[NewHampster]

4. MSNBC Story

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5112876/

SAN FRANCISCO - A federal judge Tuesday blocked the Bush administration from enforcing the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act against Planned Parenthood Federation of America clinics and their doctors, who perform roughly half the nation's abortions.

[mzmolly]

6. Wow. Good news indeed!

:hi:

[Snellius]

5. Unfortunately, this will probably play right into Bush's plans

It always seems that the right wants the issue more than a solution -- to make abortion into murder, to be able to call their cultural enemies "baby killers".

[underpants]

7. The whole W administration is unconstitutional

Good for Planned Parenthood I hope some of my payroll contribution went to filing and WINNING this suit.

[2Design]

9. thanks for posting...rated the article on yahoo a 5

[happynewyear]

8. a victory for all women

This is a victory for all women! Hurrah! To hell with you *!

This is a possibility that can occur for many women. I actually knew of a lady that was 6 mos. pregnant and did not know it (attributed it to weight gain as she was using a form of birth control that was not highly studied; obviously it didn't work - hence the reason she had not suspected a pregancy as it tended to suppress/throw off cycles). She had no symptoms of being pregnant and her and her husband did not want any children given their ages.

To make a long story short the baby was born and now they are divorced.

Quite recently I knew of a woman that had discovered she had "something" the size of a 5-month pregnancy inside of her uterus. At age 50 she was shocked! She had to get a sonogram ASAP and it turned out to be a huge fibroid tumor but it could have been a fetus. Had it been a fetus, she would have wanted to terminate this "pregnancy". She ended up having surgery for the huge fibroid. God what a horror this whole partial birth abortion issue is and has been for too many women out there, both young and old.

:dem:

[truthbetold]

10. I got this to say.

[Just Me]

12. I LOVE your poster!!!! I'm copying it to post on my windshield!!! n/t

[truthbetold]

13. Good idea!

I stole it from some other source, I'm sure. But I'm glad you like it so much!

[Voltaire99]

27. FYI: these posters are for sale.

Check out the Propaganda Remix Project. No affiliation here, just mentioning it.

[Just Me]

11. All I can say is,..."WOOOOO HOOOOO!!!!"

:bounce:

We females still have hope of having total authority over our bodies!!!!!

YES!!! YES!!! YES!!!

[dubyaD40web]

14. Let's hope the SCOTUS agrees...

...and upholds this tidbit of sanity when the appeal hits their desks. All bets are off with Scalia and gang, but this is still a very good sign.


On a related note, I wish I could remember who I heard on the radio a couple years ago talking about how the term "pro-life" was totally inaccurate. They should change the name to "pro-birth" because for so many of them, all they care about is getting the fetus out alive. After that, they have no interest whatsoever in what happens to it, or what kind of "life" it has to lead. (note: before the flames begin - I'm aware that I've made a completely stereotypical statement, not reflective of "all" pro-birthers, just the majority of them that I've dealt with). To hear these people talk about saving babies and then see them cheer when they see news about a cluster bomb hitting a city, or laugh about a criminal execution, or scream about welfare mothers... pro-life my ass.

[Just Me]

15. True. Their priorities seem to be on what isn't rather than what is.

Why people don't focus their energy upon existing life rather than a life that does not yet exist,...seems to me merely an escape from reality. While they go on and on about the "scientist" or "doctor" or "next Einstein" that was never born, they deny the "scientist" or "doctor" or "next Einstein" that exists in their midst but has been denied the opportunity to bloom.

We are failing to take care of what is. Avoiding that failure simply exaggerates our problems.

[AndyTiedye]

21. A Better Term would be "Forced Parenthood"

since they would even force a rape victim to carry to term
and give birth to the rapist's child.

[AZCat]

16. Official Link: Federal Court Order Granting Permanent Injunction

I posted this in GD also, but I figured it would be okay.

From the case Planned Parenthood et al. v. Ashcroft

Order Granting Permanent Injunction: http://www.cand.uscourts.gov/cand/judges.nsf/61fffe74f99516d088256d480060b72d/eeb4b0075349979688256ea60057d1d9?OpenDocument

Note: You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the pdf.

[Democat]

17. The only negative here is that it will motivate the right wing and not us

Some moderates will see this as proof that the courts won't allow Bush to be too extreme and the right wing will be more motivated than ever.

It would almost have been better if this ruling came down after the election.

[Bridget Burke]

18. There are other considerations than "election strategy"

Such as women in a bad situation. For whom ending a late-term pregnancy may be the best option.

Good for them.

[Democat]

24. I agree on that for the short term

More important for women's rights in the longer term is to make sure that Bush isn't allowed to appoint a Supreme Court justice.

If the court was going to rule before the election, this is the best ruling.

[Beaverhausen]

26. exactly

and until President Kerry is sworn in I will pray every day for the continued good health of Justice Stevens.

[Just Me]

20. We are failing to be pro-life on earth.

In our own country, there are over 35 million people in poverty.

In our own country, there are over 50 million without adequate health care.

In our own country, there are approximately 2 million in prison.

In our own country, there are over 25,000 violent deaths.

In our own country, there are over 5 million reports of domestic abuse (that doesn't count all those unreported).

In our own country, there are over 88 million citizens suffering from some form of psychological distress or another.

In our own country, children are on death row.

In our own country, the flagged-draped coffins of American soldiers are "screened" from public view.

In our own country, militant vigilantes are killing Mexican immigrants.

In our own country, children are being abused and neglected every single moment.

In our own country, fundamentalist religious fervour is tearing people apart.

In our own country, small business entrepreneurs cannot survive the wrath of big corporatists.

In our own country, communities are dying.

In our own country, opposition and dissention is being attacked as anti-patriotism rather than pro-democracy.

In our own country,...

,...let the healing begin.

[jdj]

30. Then they need to have the Abu Ghraib rapes rammed

down their throats. And I hope Kerry has the balls to do it. These Iraqi women were detained for who knows how long after they became pregnant; should they be forced to bear the children of American soldiers that raped them while they were in prison... Kerry needs to hit them with this.

And Rilya Wilson is still missing...

And they don't yet know who Precious Doe is...

I can't believe the Bushes pretend to be pro-life when Laura killed her boyfriend and Marvin killed his nanny and Salem bin Laden, W's first biz partner, died in a plane crash while on a visit to Texas, and they were to have a dinner with Scott Hinkley while brother John was trying to kill Reagan...This is just the people they KNOW, not even going into the thousands of faceless war dead.

[cally]

19. YES!!!!

Great news.

[boobooday]

22. God bless the 9th circuit

Home of sanity on the bench.

http://www.wgoeshome.com

[xchrom]

23. lot's of yelling going on here

oh yeah -- it's good to win!

[DaveSZ]

25. I think there is a chance that the SC could also uphold this ruling;

"The U.S. Supreme Court had overturned a Nebraska partial-birth abortion law because it did not allow the banned procedure even when a doctor believes the method is the best way to preserve the woman's health."

[TexasBushwhacker]

29. I certainly hope so ....

In the first place, since when to we legislate medical procedures and how they are done? In the second place, why have a federal law regarding a procedure that is so rare, and is only done when there is really no other option that doesn't put the mother at risk.

Here's a really good article from Salon:

http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2002/07/24/late_term/index.html

[thebaghwan]

28. Have you noticed how when a judge overturns a law * backed it is always a

judge making the law him or herself. It is an activist judge. * makes me want to puke.

[Stockholm]

31. Take that SCROTUS! n/t