SALT LAKE CITY – Today, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah, Judge Clark Waddoups entered a preliminary injunction to stop enforcement of H.B. 136, a harmful law that bans abortion after 18 weeks.
Download a PDF of this press release (PDF)
The injunction will be in place for the duration of the lawsuit Planned Parenthood Association of Utah (PPAU) and the ACLU of Utah Foundation (ACLU of Utah) filed against the state of Utah on April 10.
The state defendants, including the Office of the Governor and the Office of the Utah Attorney General, have agreed to this preliminary injunction while the case is being decided. PPAU and the ACLU of Utah expect to enter a similar stipulation with District Attorney of Salt Lake County, Sim Gill, in the near future.
It should be noted that District Attorney Gill informed the Court today of his belief that the legislation adopting the abortion ban is "plainly contrary to binding legal precedent from the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, which in 1996 considered and rejected as constitutionally unsound a similar yet less restrictive Utah statute.”
Statement from Karrie Galloway, President & CEO, Planned Parenthood Association of Utah:
“We are extremely pleased with Judge Waddoups’ order protecting Utahns’ ability to access abortion care during the lawsuit. This means there will be no disruption in care for the Utah women seeking abortion services at or after 18 weeks. Every person deserves the right to decide whether and when to become a parent, and we will continue to fight to protect the constitutional rights of Utahns to access safe, legal abortion.”
Statement from Brittney Nystrom, Executive Director of the ACLU of Utah:
“Today’s order by Judge Waddoups preventing enforcement of the Utah Legislature’s 18-week abortion ban means that Utah women can continue to make their careful and personal healthcare decisions with those they trust, including their physicians, family and faith leaders. We believe today’s injunction is the first positive step of a legal process that will ultimately show, as many courts have already concluded, that attempts to restrict abortion before viability are clearly unconstitutional.”
PPAU Contact:
Katrina Barker, Communications & Marketing Manager
801-707-1946 (cell)
katrina.barker@ppau.org
ACLU of Utah Contact:
Jason Stevenson, Strategic Communications Manager
617-290-8188 (cell)
jstevenson@acluutah.org
Frequently Asked Questions about the legal challenge to H.B. 136 (PDF)
###
The ACLU of Utah Foundation, Inc. chartered in 1958 as an affiliate of the national ACLU, operates through public education, legal advocacy, litigation, and lobbying at both the state and local levels to ensure the constitutional rights and freedoms of everyone living in or visiting Utah. Our work is based on those principles outlined in the Bill of Rights and the U.S. Constitution. Find us online at www.acluutah.org
###
At Planned Parenthood Association of Utah, we believe that every Utahn deserves to choose their own path to a healthy and meaningful life. For nearly 50 years, we’ve provided high-quality, affordable, and compassionate reproductive health care to thousands of Utah women, men, and their families at eight health centers around the state. For more information, please visit us online at www.ppau.org
