On Tuesday, a North Dakota judge ruled that the state can continue to enforce its abortion ban even in situations where an abortion is necessary to preserve the pregnant person’s life or health—at least for now. The judge denied a request from the Center for Reproductive Rights for an injunction to block the ban from being enforced in medical emergencies amid the organization’s ongoing lawsuit against the state, at least until the district court issues a ruling.
(A jury trial is set for August, according to the Associated Press.) In 2023, the Center filed its lawsuit arguing that the medical emergency exception attached to the state’s total abortion ban is too narrow and violates the state’s Constitution. “Though we are disappointed by today’s decision, the court did not reach the constitutional questions at the heart of this case, and we remain confident that we will prevail after the court hears further evidence of how this law harms pregnant North Dakotans,” Meetra Mehdizadeh, staff attorney at the Center for Reproductive Rights, said in a statemen