What the temporary restraining order on state abortion ban means for abortion clinics
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - There is still more to learn about the temporary restraining order put on the state of Texas' abortion ban and what this means for abortion clinics here in North Texas.
There are more legal questions as CBS 11 spoke with an SMU law professor who provides a better understanding of what's happening.
Ellen K. Solender Endowed Chair in Women and the Law and Professor of Law, Joanna Grossman explains what this temporary restraining order granted by a Harris County judge means.
"Right now providers, yes, individually they have to decide how much risk they're comfortable with which is sort of always the case but right now more providers will decide this gives them enough protection between now and when the full trigger ban takes effect," Grossman said.
She said this lawsuit is asking what the relationship is between those old and new laws here in Texas.
"Before Roe v. Wade in 1973 there were criminal bans on abortion, those were the laws that were struck down by the Supreme Court in Roe and there are new laws that the legislature has passed designed to take effect after Roe has been overruled which it has now been," Grossman said. "What this lawsuit is asking is for a judgement from the court that the criminal bans that were struck down by Roe in 1973 cannot now be used to prosecute abortion providers, before the new ban takes affect."
Things could quickly change after Attorney General Ken Paxton announced the state's plan to appeal the judge's decision.
"When they appeal, there's a good chance the TRO will get lifted so there could be a lot of back and forth with the TRO being lifted and reinstated between now and July 12th," Grossman said.
Grossman said we basically don't know what the abortion law is even an hour or two in the future right now.
