A federal court ruled that two pro-life organizations could intervene in a lawsuit to defend pro-life legislation passed this year by Arizona’s legislature. The Crisis Pregnancy Centers of Greater Phoenix and the Arizona Catholic Conference are defending new pro-life laws that protect women considering abortion and medical providers who do not wish to participate in or refer for abortions. A lawsuit challenging these protective measures has been filed in federal court by Tucson Women’s Center, an abortion provider based in Arizona.
The protective measures being challenged include the requirement that abortion practitioners must provide a woman considering abortion specific information about her pregnancy in an in-person consultation at least 24 hours before performing the abortion.
Life Legal Defense Foundation’s Legal Director, Katie Short, and LLDF board member, Nikolas Nikas of Bioethics Defense Fund, joined with Arizona-based Alliance Defense Fund and the Center for Arizona Policy in the motion to intervene.
A parallel state court action has been brought by Planned Parenthood Arizona seeking to permanently enjoin enforcement of the new pro-life laws. The state court allowed a friend of the court brief to be filed by LLDF attorneys and others. The Court also accepted the declarations of medical experts attesting that the challenged provisions embody sound medical practice.