Reason why Texas Supreme Court temporarily blocks pregnant woman from emergency abortion

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Texas Supreme Court temporarily blocks pregnant woman from emergency abortion
By Ashley Killough, Ed Lavandera, Alaa Elassar and Taylor Romine, CNNShow more

This undated handout photo provided courtesy of Kate Cox, shows Cox standing for a photo in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas. Kate Cox, a 31-year-old mother-of-two from Dallas-Fort Worth, sued the state of Texas on December 5, 2023, in order to get an abortion for a pregnancy that she and her doctors say threatens her life and future fertility.
Kate Cox, a 31-year-old mother of two from Dallas-Fort Worth, sued the state of Texas on December 5, 2023, in order to get an abortion for a pregnancy that she and her doctors say threatens her life and future fertility.
Kate Cox/AFP Handout
CNN
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The Texas Supreme Court has temporarily blocked a pregnant woman from obtaining an emergency abortion in a ruling issued late Friday.

The court froze a lower court’s ruling that would have allowed Kate Cox, who sued the state seeking a court-ordered abortion, to obtain the procedure. “Without regard to the merits, the Court administratively stays the district court’s December 7, 2023 order,” the order states.

The court noted the case would remain pending before them but did not include any timeline on when a full ruling might be issued. Cox is 20 weeks pregnant. Her unborn baby was diagnosed with a fatal genetic condition and she says complications in her pregnancy are putting her health at risk.

Following the ruling, Cox’s attorney said they remain hopeful the state’s request is quickly rejected. “We are talking about urgent medical care. Kate is already 20 weeks pregnant,” said Molly Duane, an attorney at the Center for Reproductive Rights. “This is why people should not need to beg for healthcare in a court of law.”

The ruling came just hours after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton petitioned the high court to intervene in the case.

Paxton’s petition stemmed from a ruling on Thursday by a Texas judge who granted a 14-day temporary restraining order against the state’s abortion ban, so Cox could legally terminate her pregnancy.

The decision marked a significant development in the ongoing debate over the state’s medical exception to its controversial ban on abortions after six weeks – one of the strictest in the nation.

In the petition filings with the state Supreme Court, Paxton – who has threatened prosecution against anyone who helps facilitate the abortion – asked for an emergency stay of the district court judge’s ruling.