Texas Supreme Court overturns ruling allowing woman’s abortion

• Texas Supreme Court overturns abortion ruling.
• Kate Cox asked for a medical exception.
• Her health is deteriorating.

The recent decision by the Texas Supreme Court to overturn a lower court’s abortion ruling caused controversy.

Kate Cox, a woman who was 21 weeks pregnant, asked authorities to allow her to have an abortion due to a medical condition.

According to reports, Cox is carrying a non-viable fetus with a medical condition that could put her health at risk.

But before you continue reading, we invite you to listen to the new podcast Tu Mundo Hoy by clicking HERE.

CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO LISTEN TO THE PODCAST

A lower court had ruled in favor of Kate Cox

The Texas Supreme Court on Monday overturned a lower court ruling that allowed Kate Cox, a 21-week pregnant woman from Dallas, to terminate her pregnancy for medical reasons.

The ruling by the Texas Supreme Court comes a few hours after Cox’s lawyers announced that her health was deteriorating, according to EFE.

The 31-year-old decided to flee Texas in order to get the medical care that she needs, according to The Associated Press.

This specific case highlights the complexity and consequences of the restrictive abortion laws in Texas and several other states.

What did Cox’s lawyers say about the case?

In a statement, the lawyers from the Center for Reproductive Rights, who represent Kate Cox, described what was going on with her case.

They said Cox received “offers to help her access abortion in other places, from Kansas to Colorado to Canada.”

Cox’s defense argued that she and her husband desperately wanted to have the baby, but her doctors warned her it was not viable.

They also stated that it represented a risk to her health and fertility, according to EFE.

A lower court had ruled in her favor

Last Thursday Cox had won a victory when a judge said her situation met the criteria for a medical exception under Texas’ strict abortion law.

But Attorney General, Republican Ken Paxton, went to the Texas Supreme Court to dispute the lower court’s ruling.

On Friday night the ruling was temporarily suspended and today it was overturned.

The Supreme Court’s swift action shows the strength of the anti-abortion stance that prevails in Texas.

Women’s health is at stake

Nancy Northup, director of the Center for Reproductive Rights, said in a statement that Cox’s health «is at stake.»

The mother of two has been in and out of the emergency room and “could not wait any longer,” according to EFE.

“That is why judges and politicians should not make decisions about the medical care of pregnant people: they are not doctors,” he emphasized.

Texas has passed some of the most restrictive abortion laws in the United States, even before Roe v. Wade was overturned in June 2022.

The impact of these harsh laws

In September 2021, the ‘Heartbeat Law’ came into effect in Texas, prohibiting abortion if cardiac activity is detected in the fetus.

This is something that happens at six weeks of gestation, when many women do not even know that they are pregnant, according to EFE.

Kate Cox’s case also highlights the harshness of the anti-abortion laws in Texas and their effect on women’s health.

It underscores the urgency of an informed and respectful dialogue on the issue of abortion.