US Appeals Court Temporarily Revives Texas Abortion Ban
Summary from the AllSides News Team
The Texas Heartbeat Act (SB 8), a law that bans most abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected, was quickly revived by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday night. The Texas law went into effect on Sept. 1 but was temporarily blocked on Wednesday by U.S. District Court Judge Robert Pitman. The Justice Department has until Tuesday to respond to the appeal. The law grants private citizens the ability to sue anyone who helped provide an abortion after six weeks of pregnancy; it allows for an exemption for "medical emergencies," but does not make any exceptions for cases involving rape or incest. Many Democrats have criticized the law, including President Joe Biden, who called the act an "unprecedented assault on a woman's constitutional rights."
Right-rated outlets highlighted reactions from pro-life advocates that celebrated the appeal, including Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Texas Right to Life. Left-rated outlets featured comments that condemned the 5th Circuit's decision, including clinics that "are on edge" as they cancel abortion appointments.
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Right
Texas Abortion Ban Resumes Temporarily After Decision by US Appeals Court
The Texas Heartbeat Act, a law that bans most abortions, is temporarily back in effect after the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals granted a request by the state to set aside a lower court judge’s decision while the case is reviewed.
The Texas law, also known as Senate Bill 8, bans abortions after a heartbeat is detected, which is usually around six weeks, unless a medical emergency exists.
U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman, an Obama appointee, had on Wednesday granted the Biden administration’s petition to temporarily suspend the law. Pitman at the time also denied...
From the Left
Appeals court allows Texas abortion law to resume, stopping federal judge’s order to block its enforcement
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals late Friday temporarily allowed Texas’ near-total abortion ban — the strictest in the nation — to again be enforced after freezing a federal judge’s temporary block of the law. The state appealed the order just two days after it was issued.
A panel of 5th Circuit justices restored enforcement of the law hours after Texas asked the court to step into a lawsuit that the U.S. Justice Department filed against the state. Enforcement of the law will be allowed to continue until at least Tuesday, when a response from...
From the Left
US appeals court lets Texas resume ban on most abortions 
A federal appeals court Friday night quickly allowed Texas to resume banning most abortions, just one day after clinics began racing to serve patients again for the first time since early September.
A one-page order by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated the nation’s strictest abortion law, which bans abortions once cardiac activity is detected, usually around six weeks. It makes no exceptions in cases of rape or incest.
“Patients are being thrown back into a state of chaos and fear,” said Nancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive...
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