Idaho women, physicians file suit over abortion law
John and Jennifer Adkins (center) stand in front of the Ada County Courthouse after a hearing in response to the state’s motion to dismiss their lawsuit challenging the scope of the medical exceptions in the state’s abortion ban. The lawsuit, Adkins v. Idaho, was filed in September after Adkins had to seek an abortion in Oregon because Idaho has a near-total ban on abortions without exceptions provided to preserve the health of the pregnant patient, only to prevent their death.
(Mia Maldonado/Idaho Capital Sun)
An Ada County judge said Thursday he will decide within the next month whether to dismiss a lawsuit filed by four women and two physicians against the state of Idaho challenging the scope of the medical exceptions in the state’s abortion ban. The Idaho Academy of Family Physicians, an organization of more than 650 physicians across the state, is also a plaintiff in the case.
The lawsuit, Adkins v. State of Idaho, is named for the lead plaintiff, Jennifer Adkins, who sought an abortion in Oregon in April because her 12-week-old fetus was diagnosed with a condition that would have resulted in a miscarriage or stillbirth, and likely jeopardized her own health. The three other plaintiffs, Jillaine St.Michel, Kayla Smith and Rebecca Vincen-Brown, also had fetal complications that were likely to affect their health.
Idaho, like 13 other states across the country, has a near-total ban on abortions without exceptions provided to preserve the health of the pregnant patient, only to prevent their death. Physicians have said the law is unclear about when that exception would apply so that they could be safe from criminal prosecution.
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