Posted on 05/14/2025 10:09:11 PM PDT by Morgana
A Michigan Court of Claims judge has struck down several pro-life laws designed to protect unborn babies and ensure women’s safety, ruling them unconstitutional under the state’s 2022 pro-abortion amendment.
The decision, handed down Tuesday by Judge Sima Patel, eliminates a 24-hour waiting period, informed consent requirements, and restrictions on non-physicians performing abortions, prompting outcry from pro-life advocates who argue these measures safeguard both mothers and their unborn children.
The overturned laws, which included a mandatory 24-hour waiting period before an abortion, were intended to give women time to reflect on their decision and receive critical information about fetal development and potential health risks. The informed consent policy required providers to share details about the abortion procedure, including the gestational age of the baby and resources for pregnancy support.
Pro-life groups, such as Right to Life of Michigan, contend these measures ensured women made informed choices without coercion, protecting their physical and emotional well-being.
“The Michigan Court of Claims ill-fated ruling is an immediate threat to the health and safety of women across our state. The overturn of informed consent for women considering an abortion flies in the face of both common-sense medical practice and the democratic process,” Right to Life of Michigan president Amber Roseboom told LifeNews.
“Abortion is the only medical procedure of its kind in which the patient now is expected to go in blind. There is no question that women are at greater risk when they enter an abortion clinic in Michigan today than they were even a few years ago,” she added. “As a result of this dangerous ruling and disregard for patients’ rights, women in Michigan are no longer guaranteed access to important facts related to abortion. The informed consent and 24-hour waiting period law had been in place for more than 30 years, providing women seeking an abortion with medically accurate information, including common risks associated with the procedure.”
The timing of this decision could not be more concerning, as the state faces an unprecedented spike in serious complications from abortion, up 38% in just one year.
“Unable to gain the votes needed to overturn the 24-hour waiting period and informed consent in the state legislature, activist abortion providers appealed to the ideologically driven courts to strip these long-standing, bipartisan protections. Unsurprisingly, an overwhelming majority of voters (66%) support the 24-hour waiting period and informed consent law,” Roseboom added.
The ruling also lifts a ban on advanced practice clinicians, such as nurse practitioners and physician assistants, performing abortions. Pro-life advocates argue this restriction was a critical safety measure, ensuring only licensed physicians with extensive medical training could perform such procedures.
Judge Patel’s decision follows a lawsuit filed by Northland Family Planning Center, which argued that the restrictions violated Michigan’s constitutional amendment, passed via Proposal 3 in 2022, guaranteeing unlimited abortion up to birth. Patel, appointed to the Michigan Court of Appeals by pro-abortion Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2022, had previously issued a preliminary injunction in June 2024 halting enforcement of the laws.
Her final ruling on Tuesday permanently struck them down, citing bogus burdens such as increased costs, prolonged wait times, and barriers to accessing dangerous abortion pills.
Pro-life leaders argue the ruling dismisses the will of Michigan voters who, while approving Proposal 3, did not intend to eliminate reasonable safeguards. They point to the informed consent policy, previously upheld by the Michigan Court of Appeals in the 1990s, as a commonsense measure that respects women’s autonomy while acknowledging the gravity of abortion.
The case, heard in a bench trial in Detroit, marks a significant shift in Michigan’s abortion landscape, further solidifying the state’s stance as a stronghold for abortion access since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.
Heartbreaking.
[Judge Sima Patel]
“non-partisan” Hindu judge making $186,000/yr
We DID NOT vote for this evil! Quite the opposite.
Moloch must be sated!
Why should a heathen judge’s opinion, especially from a Claims Court, have any jurisdiction to state law?
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