County Judge Temporarily Blocks 24-Hour Waiting Period
Any attempts to enforce a 24-hour waiting period for abortions in Ohio have been temporarily halted by a county judge, citing the 2023 Reproductive Rights Amendment. Franklin County Common Pleas Judge David C. Young ruled that the language of the amendment is “clear and unambiguous” and that the challenged statutes burden and discriminate against patients seeking abortions.
Republican Attorney General to Appeal Decision
Appealing the decision, Republican Attorney General Dave Yost plans to take the case to a higher court, arguing that the 24-hour waiting period and informed consent laws are imperative safety features designed to ensure women receive proper care and make voluntary decisions.
General Yost’s office believes that the court’s decision goes against the legal standard that existed before the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. They argue that 24-hour waiting periods and informed consent laws were consistently upheld under Roe, which protected legal abortions for nearly 50 years.Slug: ohio-judge-blocks-24-hour-abortion-waiting-period-citing-reproductive-rights-amendment Meta Description: A county judge in Ohio has temporarily blocked a 24-hour waiting period for abortions, citing the 2023 Reproductive Rights Amendment. Republican Attorney General Dave Yost plans to appeal the decision, arguing that the waiting period and informed consent laws are imperative safety features.
Judge Finds Language of Constitutional Amendment “Clear and Unambiguous”
Finds that the language of the 2023 reproductive rights amendment is straightforward and easy to understand, Franklin County Common Pleas Judge David C. Young ruled in favor of the abortion clinics and physicians who sued the state. He stated that the amendment’s language clearly shows that the challenged statutes burden, penalize, prohibit, interfere with, and discriminate against patients in exercising their right to an abortion and providers for assisting them in exercising that right.
ACLU Hails Decision as “Historic Victory” for Abortion Patients and Voters
Any doubts about the impact of the 2023 reproductive rights amendment were laid to rest with Judge Young’s decision, according to the ACLU of Ohio. The organization hailed the ruling as a historic victory for abortion patients and voters who supported the amendment.
ACLU cooperating attorney Jessie Hill praised the decision, stating that it upholds the fundamental right to abortion and bodily autonomy as intended by Ohio voters. Hill emphasized that the amended Ohio Constitution works to protect reproductive freedom and prohibits the state from infringing on it except when necessary to protect the health of a pregnant person.