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AUSTIN, Texas (AP) – Kate Cox, a mother of two in Texas, became pregnant again in August but soon received devastating news: Her baby had a terminal illness and was likely to die. birth or death after birth.
The danger caused Cox, 31, in the middle of an unprecedented challenge on the abortion ban that has changed the landscape for women in the US A Texas judge gave Cox permission this week to make a fourth abortion, but the state’s highest court. stop that decision Friday night.
Whether Cox, who is 20 weeks pregnant, can legally obtain an abortion under narrow exceptions to the state’s ban is now in limbo while the Texas Supreme Court considers her case. The court, which consists of nine Republican judges, has not given a time frame for when it can rule.
His claim is believed to be the first since then Roe v. Wade turned last year the court was asked for permission to perform an abortion. A Kentucky pregnant woman ever since filed a similar challenge.
” With our client’s life on the line, The State of Texas is playing dirty political games. This fight is not over,” the Center for Reproductive Rights, which represents Cox, announced on Saturday at X.
Here are some things to know:
WHO IS KATE COX?
Cox lives in the Dallas area with his wife and two children, ages 3 and 1. The pregnancy was not easy and a cesarean section was performed for both pregnancies, according to her lawsuit filed this week in Austin.
This photo by Kate Cox features Kate Cox. (Kate Cox via AP)
In October, doctors told Cox that her baby was at high risk for a condition called trisomy 18, which carries a very high risk of miscarriage. the babies, and the life expectancy is low, according to the claim. His attorneys say Cox has been to the emergency room at least four times, including this week, and his health has become more and more at risk the longer he stays. pregnant
Doctors told Cox that inducing labor or carrying the baby for a long time could jeopardize her ability to have another child in the future.
“I would really love another baby,” Cox told NBC News this week after the lower court judge gave his permission for an abortion, “So, I hope for my health, our family.”
WHY IS TEXAS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR THE STORM?
Republican Texas Attorney General Kan Paxton, who is leading efforts to stop abortion, said Cox does not meet the requirements for a medical exemption under the state’s ban. Her office said Cox did not demonstrate that the pregnancy put her life at risk and noted that she was sent home after several visits to hospital emergency rooms.
There is no exception to Texas’ ban for fetal anomalies. There are no recent data on the frequency of terminations for fetal distress in the US but wise men say a small percentage of the total proceedings.
“The Texas Legislature did not intend for the courts to become a revolving door of access to abortion,” Paxton’s office wrote in a filing with the state Supreme Court.
HAS TEXAS ALLOWED ANY CERTIFICATES THAT AFFECTED THE BAN?
Texas was one of 13 states that rushed to ban abortion at nearly every stage of pregnancy after Roe was overturned. Texas has long been at the forefront of strict abortion laws in the United States, and even today, efforts to making it harder for pregnant women to leave Texas for states that legalize the procedure.
Under the Texas ban, doctors who perform abortions can face criminal charges punishable by life in prison. They can also face claims from private individuals, who are given the power to prosecute a person who helps a woman to have an abortion, such as medical staff. The laws do not threaten the mother with legal consequences.
Fewer than 50 women in Texas have had abortions since the ban last year, according to state health records. No one knows if it resulted in criminal charges or lawsuits.
Who qualifies for a medical penalty under the Texas ban has become one of the biggest legal questions since Roe was overturned. Another case before the Texas Supreme Court argued that the legislators made the requirements vagueleaving doctors afraid of performing abortions under any circumstances.
A decision on that issue is likely to be months away.
WHAT ABOUT THE KENTUCKY CASE?
Hours before the Texas Supreme Court suspended Cox’s case on Friday, a woman in Kentucky who was eight weeks pregnant also requested the right to an abortion in state court.
Unlike Cox’s case, the Kentucky lawsuit seeks special status to include other women who are pregnant or about to become pregnant and want an abortion. Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron, whose office defended the state’s anti-abortion laws, said his office is reviewing the lawsuit.