On Thursday, Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis will appeal a court ruling that temporarily blocks the state’s 15-week abortion ban from taking effect.
Abortions beyond 15 weeks of pregnancy are illegal in Florida under a bill that Governor Ron DeSantis signed in April, the law, known as House Bill 5, with the exception of life-threatening medical situations in which the mother’s life is at risk or the unborn child has a fatal condition. Medical practitioners who perform abortions run the risk of losing their licenses and facing fines of $10,000 each for violating the law, which has a maximum sentence of five years in jail.
The American Civil Liberties Union, the Center for Reproductive Rights, and other left-leaning organizations filed a lawsuit on June 1 asking for an injunction against the Florida law.
The state constitution of Florida, which states in part: “Right of privacy: Every natural person has the right to be let alone and free from governmental intervention into the person’s private life,” they claimed, makes the Florida statute “blatantly unconstitutional.”
On Thursday, Judge John C. Cooper of the Leon County Circuit Court issued a ruling preventing the Friday implementation of the abortion ban. He ruled that The Florida Constitution’s privacy provision is violated by the law.
“The Florida Supreme Court has determined Florida’s privacy’s provision is clearly implicated in a woman’s decision in whether or not to continue her pregnancy,” Cooper said.
DeSantis’ office stated he will appeal the verdict until it reaches the Florida Supreme Court to “reverse its existing precedent regarding Florida’s right to privacy,” according to Politico, as the judge’s decision is just the first in what is expected to be a lengthy legal battle.
“While we are disappointed with today’s ruling, we know that the pro-life HB 5 will ultimately withstand all legal challenges. The Florida Supreme Court previously misinterpreted Florida’s right to privacy as including a right to an abortion. We reject this interpretation because the Florida Constitution does not include–and has never included–a right to kill an innocent unborn child. We will appeal today’s ruling and ask the Florida Supreme Court to reverse its existing precedent regarding Florida’s right to privacy. The struggle for life is not over.” DeSantis’ Office said in a statement.
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Sources: Conservativebrief, Foxnews, Theepochtimes