AUSTIN – The Temporary Restraining Order (“TRO”) granted by the Travis County district judge purporting to allow an abortion to proceed will not insulate hospitals, doctors, or anyone else, from civil and criminal liability for violating Texas’ abortion laws. This includes first degree felony prosecutions, Tex. Health & Safety Code § 170A.004, and civil penalties of not less than $100,000 for each violation, Tex. Health & Safety Code §§ 170A.005, 171.207-211. And, while the TRO purports to temporarily enjoin actions brought by the OAG and TMB against Dr. Karsan and her staff, it does not enjoin actions brought by private citizens. Tex. Health & Safety Code § ¬¬171.207. Nor does it prohibit a district or county attorney from enforcing Texas’ pre-Roe abortion laws against Dr. Karsan or anyone else. The TRO will expire long before the statute of limitations for violating Texas’ abortion laws expires.
Summary: Sure, you can get an abortion now. We are still going to ruin your life, destroy your business, and force you to leave the state to ever work again.
If the AG or anyone else does pursue criminal or civil penalties, it will 100% be appealed all the way to the Supreme Court, and I genuinely wonder how Comey Barrett, Kavanaugh, and Roberts would rule
Poorly?
While I strongly disagree with many of their rulings, I also don’t share your pessimism. Kavanaugh in particular has demonstrated he’s not a conservative absolutist
That may well be, but he’s still a disgrace to his title. That being said, whether or not they choose an agreeable stance, their logic will be pointless and invalid.
Depends on who paid them off last, and how much.
Oh. You meant “poorly” as in the decision was bad, not poor as in, no money,
I think they’ll uphold the restraining order and maybe strike down the most egregious anti abortion laws.
Republicans have been getting decimated in recent elections, and a lot of that has to do with abortion. If the conservatives on the Supreme Court can help them by getting that issue off the table I think they’d do it.
It just adds to their illegitimacy, but they’ll do it