Citing 'Irreparable Harm,' Federal Judge Blocks Oklahoma Attempt to Ban Abortion During Pandemic

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Common Dreams

Published on
Monday, April 06, 2020
by Common Dreams

"To politicians and anti-abortion groups playing political games amid a pandemic: Let this be a lesson to you that we won't allow you to put our patients and the community at risk."

by Jessica Corbett, staff writer

Reproductive rights advocates celebrated on Monday after U.S. District Judge Charles Goodwin granted a temporary restraining order against the state of Oklahoma's ban on abortions during the coronavirus pandemic on the grounds that denying the right to the medical procedures would cause "imminent, irreparable harm" to state residents.

"Today's ruling is important because our patients need and deserve access to abortion care," said Brandon Hill, president and CEO of Comprehensive Health of Planned Parenthood Great Plains. "Abortion is an essential and time-sensitive medical procedure that should not be caught in the crosshairs of political agendas—especially during this public health crisis."

Planned Parenthood's national acting president Alexis McGill Johnson also welcomed the decision in a tweet Monday and warned anti-choice politicians that rights advocates "won't allow you to put our patients and the community at risk."

The judge's ruling came in response to a lawsuit brought by Planned Parenthood and the Center for Reproductive Rights, challenging an executive order (pdf) that Republican Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed last month temporarily outlawing all elective surgeries—and which included abortions in that category—because of the ongoing virus outbreak.

Read more: https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/04/06/citing-irreparable-harm-federal-judge-blocks-oklahoma-attempt-ban-abortion-during

[jimfields33]

1. A trump judge!

Amazing.

[procon]

2. Abortions aren't elective as they are up against a

very specific time restrictions. The state can't have it both ways.

It's 2020, Republicans need to stop being afraid of women and mind their own business. That, or we will release every Succubus in hell to steal their precious bodily fluids.

[niyad]

3. Now we need some OH and TX judges.

[paleotn]

4. Can we ban Oklahoma?

At least the Rethuglican part?

[AlexSFCA]

5. abortions are no more elective than births

both can’t be postponed.

[pat_k]

6. "imminent, irreparable harm" vs. Texas judicial insanity of "reasonable restriction"

Of course the damage is imminent and irreparable.

With risk increasing as time passes, it is guaranteed that more women will suffer complications if the ban were to remain in place... and for some, it would mean denial of their right to terminate entirely. Even setting aside the risk to physical health, every day a woman who has chosen to terminate a pregnancy is forced to continue that pregnancy inflicts psychological harm.

To rule to uphold the ban, as the two judges on the three judge panel in Texas did, is judicial insanity.