Trial Challenging Unconstitutionally Narrow Exceptions to Abortion Ban Begins Tomorrow in Indiana
For Immediate Release: May 28, 2024
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Nearly one year after Indiana's abortion ban took effect, a trial is set to begin tomorrow, May 29, in a legal challenge to the ban brought by Planned Parenthood Great Northwest, Hawai‘i, Alaska, Indiana, Kentucky, All-Options, Inc, and Dr. Amy Caldwell. The legal challenge seeks to broaden and clarify the scope of the unconstitutionally narrow and ambiguous health or life exception to the state’s abortion ban and to permit abortions provided pursuant to the ban’s exceptions to occur in clinics as well as hospitals. The trial follows a 2023 Indiana Supreme Court ruling that affirms that the Indiana Constitution protects the right to an abortion necessary to protect a patient from serious health risks. Plaintiffs are represented by lawyers from Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the Lawyering Project, the ACLU of Indiana, and WilmerHale.
The trial in this case is scheduled to begin Wednesday, May 29th and conclude Friday, May 31st. Media covering the case can find information on attending the trial in-person or streaming the trial remotely in this document from the Circuit Court of Monroe County.
Joint statement from Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Planned Parenthood Great Northwest, Hawai‘i, Alaska, Indiana, Kentucky, ACLU of Indiana, All-Options, the Lawyering Project:
"This lawsuit seeks to restore access to health care to pregnant Hoosiers currently endangered by the unconstitutionally limited scope of the health or life exception to Indiana's abortion ban. Drafted in a breakneck special legislative session in 2022, the law's exceptions were intentionally made as narrow as possible to appease state legislators arguing for a ban with no exceptions. As a result, Hoosiers with serious health complications have been forced to endure unjustifiable suffering due to miscarriages, ectopic pregnancies, and other pregnancy-related issues or leave the state to access appropriate care. Hoosiers deserve, and the Indiana Constitution demands, better."
Additional comments will not be provided about the legal challenge until the trial concludes.
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Planned Parenthood Great Northwest, Hawai‘i, Alaska, Indiana, Kentucky (PPGNHAIK) is a leading sexual and reproductive health care provider and advocate. The organization operates 35 health centers in Alaska, Hawai‘i, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, and Western Washington and provides medical services and sexuality education for thousands of people each year. PPGNHAIK is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization and relies heavily on charitable donations to ensure our patients' ability to determine their own destinies and receive the health care they need.
Planned Parenthood is the nation’s leading provider and advocate of high-quality, affordable sexual and reproductive health care for all people, as well as the nation’s largest provider of sex education. With nearly 600 health centers nationwide, Planned Parenthood organizations serve all patients with care and compassion, with respect, and without judgment, striving to create equitable access to health care. Through health centers, programs in schools and communities, and online resources, Planned Parenthood is a trusted source of reliable education and information that allows people to make informed health decisions. We do all this because we care passionately about helping people lead healthier lives. Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that supports the independently incorporated Planned Parenthood affiliates operating health centers across the U.S.
The ACLU of Indiana is the state’s guardian of liberty, working daily to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitutions and laws of the United States and Indiana. Using education, advocacy, and litigation, we work to protect the rights of all and to extend rights to communities that have historically experienced injustice in the U.S., including Native Americans and other people of color, women, LGBTQ+ individuals, prisoners, people with disabilities, and the indigent. We are nonprofit and nonpartisan, and we never charge for our services. Member dues and contributions and grants from private foundations and individuals pay for the work we do.
The Lawyering Project uses the law to improve abortion access and uphold the rights and dignity of people seeking and providing abortion care. Our goal is a legal system that enables each of us to make decisions about intensely personal matters like sex, pregnancy, family, and health care based on our own beliefs and values—and ensures that we all have the resources we need to carry those decisions out.