PHOENIX — The Arizona Court of Appeals on Friday blocked a trial court’s decision that allowed immediate enforcement of a pre-statehood law that criminalizes nearly all abortions.

The ruling means that abortions can again take place in Arizona, at least for now, unless the state Supreme Court steps in.

The three-judge panel agreed with Planned Parenthood that the judge should not have lifted the decades-old order blocking its enforcement.

Oct. 7, 202212:37

The brief order written by Presiding Judge Peter J. Eckerstrom said Planned Parenthood and its Arizona affiliate had shown they are likely to prevail on an appeal of a decision by the judge in Tucson to allow enforcement of the old law. They said the judge should have considered a host of laws restricting abortions passed since the original injunction was put in place following the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade that said women have a constitutional right to an abortion.

Those laws include a new one blocking abortions after 15 weeks’ pregnancy that took effect last month.

The Supreme Court overruled Roe in June, and Republican Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich then asked that the injunction blocking enforcement of the pre-statehood abortion be lifted. Pima Court Superior Court Judge Kellie Johnson agreed on Sept. 23 and lifted the order two weeks ago.

Providers across the state stopped abortions after the U.S. Supreme Court decision, but many restarted procedures in mid-summer. That came after a federal judge blocked a separate “personhood” law they worried would allow criminal charges against doctors and nurses. They halted again after Johnson’s ruling.

The appeals court said the trial court erred by limiting its analysis only to the attorney general’s request to lift the injunction issued after Roe was handed down and refusing to consider the later laws passed by the Legislature to regulate abortion.

“Arizona courts have a responsibility to attempt to harmonize all of this state’s relevant statutes,” Eckerstrom wrote, mirroring arguments made by attorneys for Planned Parenthood.

The appeals court set a hearing for next week to consider whether to set an expedited schedule for hearing Planned Parenthood’s full appeal.

Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com

You May Also Like

December inflation data and ESPN show boots Aaron Rodgers: Morning Rundown

Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley clash during the final Republican debate before…

FDA Finds Poor Conditions at Contractor’s Plant Making J&J Vaccine

Among the problems identified during the regulators’ inspection of the plant: cross-contamination…

Jacksonville Jaguars fire head coach Urban Meyer after 13 games, missteps

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Urban Meyer’s tumultuous NFL tenure ended after just 13…

Live updates: Alex Murdaugh faces 30 years to life for murdering his wife and son

47m ago / 1:39 PM UTC South Carolina AG details what worked…