An appeals court temporarily blocked the enforcement of a ban on nearly all abortions in Arizona | Maria Oswalt/Unsplash
An appeals court temporarily blocked the enforcement of a ban on nearly all abortions in Arizona | Maria Oswalt/Unsplash
An appeals court temporarily blocked the enforcement of a ban on nearly all abortions in Arizona after a three-judge panel granted an emergency stay filed by Planned Parenthood, according to a report by CNN.
The ruling will allow providers to perform abortions at up to 15 weeks of pregnancy while the appeal filed by Planned Parenthood Arizona is resolved. Judge Peter Eckstrom wrote that the state must "attempt to harmonize all of this state's relevant statutes" after the stay was granted. Planned Parenthood's filing came after Pima County Superior Court Judge Kellie Johnson ruled that the state's 1901 ban on nearly all abortions could still be enforced. That ruling came just one day before a ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy was scheduled to effect, meaning Johnson's ruling effectively outlawed all abortions except when necessary to save the mother's life. The three-judge panel took all the complexities of the case into consideration, Eckstrom said.
"The court further concludes the balance of hardships weigh strongly in favor of granting the stay, given the acute need of healthcare providers, prosecuting agencies, and the public for legal clarity as to the application of our criminal laws," Eckstrom wrote in the order.
Planned Parenthood expressed tempered relief at the ruling.
"For over 100 days, Arizonans have experienced pure chaos and confusion and it has been traumatic for our physicians and staff who have been forced to notify patients that they can no longer care for them," said Brittany Fonteno, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Arizona. "The court's decision to issue a stay while the legal process continues to unfold will allow Planned Parenthood Arizona to resume abortion care services. Planned Parenthood Arizona is committed to defending reproductive freedom for all and continuing this fight until this 150-year-old law is taken off the books for good."
Fonteno added that the organization is working to resume abortions in Arizona.
"We are working diligently already to resume abortion care in the Tucson area, and unfortunately with such a big operation as Planned Parenthood, as the biggest abortion provider in the state, resuming care isn't as easy as flipping on a light switch," Fonteno said.
Fonteno said exact dates or locations where abortions can be done are not yet determined.
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