Florida Supreme Court keeps 15-week abortion ban in place, report shows

Justices turned down requests by 7 abortion clinics, doctor in 4-1 decision, according to CBS Miami

Florida lawmakers call for special session to strengthen abortion laws

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida Supreme Court rejected requests to stop a law that prevents abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy on Monday, according to CBS Miami.

In a 4-1 decision, justices turned down requests made by seven abortion clinics and a doctor for a stay of a ruling by the 1st District Court of Appeal that kept the law in place, according to the report.

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The decision shows that Justices Charles Canady, Ricky Polston, John Couriel and Jamie Grosshans were in the majority, while Justice Jorge Labarga dissented and Chief Justice Carlos Muniz and Justice Renatha Francis did not take part. The outlet also reported that the Supreme Court did not detail its reasoning.

According to CBS Miami, the decision will keep the 15-week abortion law in effect until the Supreme Court can rule on other issues.

This comes after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the bill banning abortions after 15 weeks into law back in April 2022. The law went into effect on July 1, 2022, despite receiving pushback from Florida courts.

Leon County Circuit Judge John Cooper had ruled on June 30 that the law did violate Florida’s constitution, specifically the provision guaranteeing the right to privacy, but the appeals court later refused to lift the automatic stay and subsequently rejected Cooper’s temporary injunction.

Later, in September, Attorney General Ashley Moody’s office encouraged the Supreme Court to not only reject the motion for a stay, but find that the privacy clause does not apply to abortion rights.

If the Supreme Court aligns with Moody’s argument, it could pave the way for DeSantis to place more restrictions on abortions.

The decision to maintain the 15-week abortion ban also comes a day after Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to Tallahassee to mark the 50th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade court decision, vowing that she and President Biden will “never back down” on abortion rights.

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