Texas Woman Leaves State After Supreme Court Halts Abortion Decision
A 31-year-old mother from Dallas, Texas, has left the state after the Texas Supreme Court paused a lower court decision that would allow her to terminate her pregnancy under a legal medical exemption. Kate Cox, who is 20 weeks pregnant, sought an abortion after her doctors informed her that her baby suffered from the chromosomal disorder trisomy 18, which usually results in either stillbirth or an early death of an infant.
State District Judge Maya Guerra Gamble had initially ruled in favor of Cox, allowing her to terminate her pregnancy. However, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton warned a Texas medical center that it would face legal consequences if they performed the abortion. In response, the Texas Supreme Court temporarily paused Gamble’s ruling.
After Cox left the state, the state Supreme Court lifted the pause and overturned the lower court ruling that had granted Cox’s request. The court found that Cox’s doctor did not assert a “good faith belief” about whether Cox’s condition met the law’s standard for an abortion exemption.
The lawsuit was filed as the state Supreme Court is weighing whether the state’s strict abortion ban is too restrictive for women who suffer from severe pregnancy complications. According to the Center for Reproductive Rights, Cox v. Texas is the first case since the overturning of Roe v. Wade to be filed on behalf of a pregnant person seeking emergency abortion care.
The legal battle over abortion continues to be a contentious issue, with cases in Texas and Kentucky challenging the stringent abortion bans in those states. As the debate rages on, women’s reproductive rights remain at the center of legal and ethical discussions.