The Utah Supreme Court will hear a case from Planned Parenthood on Tuesday challenging the state's abortion trigger law over a year after the constitutional right to abortion was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Hours after Roe v. Wade fell, Planned Parenthood, alongside the American Civil Liberties Union, moved to challenge Utah Senate Bill 174, a trigger law that criminalizes nearly all abortions in Utah except in certain cases of rape, incest, or maternal health risks. Attorneys for the reproductive healthcare organization filed a temporary restraining order to block the law, arguing that abortion is covered under the Constitution by equal rights and due process.
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A judge agreed to impose the temporary restraining order in a preliminary injunction, effectively blocking the state law from taking effect and remaining in effect until the lawsuit is settled.
"There is a reasonable argument here that the Act violates some right to bodily integrity," 3rd District Judge Andrew Stone said in the ruling.
Abortion is currently legal in Utah up to 18 weeks of pregnancy, and people can still seek out the procedure at an abortion clinic. Three clinics offer abortions in the state.
"The Supreme Court ruling was devastating and terrifying for our patients and providers, but at least for now, Utahns will be able to get the care they need," Kerrie Galloway, the CEO of the Planned Parenthood Association of Utah, said in a statement after the judge granted the motion.
Lawyers representing the state of Utah are claiming there is no specific legislation in the state protecting the right to abortion.
In the days ahead of the case through Utah's 3rd Judicial District Court, anti-abortion advocates are rallying over the possibility that the full abortion ban could take place. On Sunday, protesters on both sides of the issue gathered outside the Utah Capitol.
"If the trigger ban went into effect, it would cause irreparable harm to Utahns and their families," Camila Vega, a Planned Parenthood attorney, said.
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Members of the Pro-Life Utah organization and Sidewalk Advocates for Life, a national outreach program, showed up Sunday evening to demand the trigger ban take effect.
"We pray for courage and compassion from the Utah Supreme Court justices who will hear the case on Tuesday," Mary Taylor, the President of Pro-Life Utah, told KJZZ.