A federal judge has blocked Idaho from prosecuting doctors who perform abortions to protect a pregnant woman’s health or prevent self-harm. U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill made the ruling, stating that Idaho’s abortion laws violate the due process and equal protection clauses of the 14th Amendment.
Background
The case was brought by Dr. Stacy Seyb, a Boise maternal-fetal medicine specialist who sued over the law in 2024. Seyb argued that the law forced him to refer patients to other states for care, including those with grave pregnancy complications who had to be flown to Utah for treatment.
Winmill found that there is a gap between life-saving abortions and abortions performed to prevent non-lethal harm. He noted that Seyb said he has to refer patients in that gap to other states for care.
Reaction
Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador plans to appeal the decision, stating that he is confident it will be overturned. Dr. Seyb welcomed the ruling, saying it will allow him to practice medicine without fear of prosecution and offer patients with serious medical conditions the option of ending a pregnancy without having to leave the state.
The ruling comes as Idaho voters are set to decide on a voter-led initiative to roll back the state’s abortion ban in the fall. The initiative would allow abortion until fetal viability, which is generally considered to be after 21 weeks.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
