Free Republic

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A Florida judge said Thursday that he will temporarily block a 15-week ban on abortions in his state, but his bench ruling won’t take effect before the ban becomes law Friday — an issue that could cause confusion for patients as well as abortion providers. Meanwhile, a Kentucky judge temporarily blocked that state’s near-total ban on abortions, allowing the procedures to resume after they were abruptly stopped when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last week. The cases in Florida and Kentucky reflect battles being waged in courts across the country after the Supreme...

A Florida judge has temporarily blocked a ban on abortions after 15 weeks that was set to begin Friday. Planned Parenthood, the American Civil Liberties Union and abortion providers filed suit to stymie the law, arguing that it violated the state’s constitution. Leon County Judge John C. Cooper handed down his ruling from the bench after two days of arguments and said he would issue a written injunction. State officials are expected to fight the decision. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the 15-week abortion ban this past April, prior to the Supreme Court’s momentous reversal of Roe v. Wade last...