The legal wrangling on Texas’ controversial abortion law continues as a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction on the night of Oct. 6, placing a temporary hold on the bill.
The state has already appealed the injunction of the "Heartbeat Bill."
The law bans abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected, which usually occurs around the sixth week of a pregnancy.
Explaining his reasoning for the injunction, U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman wrote, “From the moment S.B. 8 went into effect, women have been unlawfully prevented from exercising control over their lives in ways that are protected by the Constitution. That other courts may find a way to avoid this conclusion is theirs to decide, this Court will not sanction one more day of this offensive deprivation of an important right."
Pitman’s decision put a damper on the hopes of pro-life advocacy groups that had supported the measure before it took effect.
Josh Blackman, a professor of constitutional law at South Texas College of Law in Houston, said the latest measure probably will have little effect until it reaches the highest court in the land.
“I don’t think anything changes today, tomorrow or even next week or next month," he said. "Until the U.S. Supreme Court says 'stop,' I think the clinics in Texas will probably still stand guard."