Florida’s new ban on most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy was blocked Thursday by a judge — a day before it was to go into effect.
Leon County Circuit Judge John Cooper ruled that the restriction would clash with earlier state Supreme Court rulings which concluded that abortion is protected by the Florida constitution’s right to privacy.
“Women have a privacy right under the state constitution,” Cooper said in stopping the law, scheduled to take effect July 1.
Cooper issued his ruling from the bench, at the end of a two-day hearing. The judge said he is issuing a temporary injunction and will release a full written order in coming days.
Attorney General Ashley Moody is certain to appeal Cooper’s injunction and it’s possible the 1st District Court of Appeal would allow the stricter standard to be enacted while legal proceedings continue.
But without such action, current state law will continue to allow most abortions within 24 weeks of pregnancy.
Florida’s Republican-controlled Legislature approved the 15-week standard earlier this year and Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the measure in April.
Planned Parenthood affiliates in Florida and allied organizations sued this month to block the law, approved by the Legislature as HB 5. Their attorneys argued that affiliates and their patients would be irreparably harmed by the change.