Indiana Judge Blocks Abortion Ban, Claims Killing the Unborn Can Be a Religious Right
A Marion County judge on Thursday issued a permanent injunction allowing certain individuals in Indiana to obtain abortions by claiming their religious beliefs require it, directly undermining the state’s near-total abortion ban and igniting sharp outrage among pro-life advocates.
The injunction applies to a certified class of Hoosiers whose faith could be interpreted to justify abortions outside the law’s limited exceptions, which include lethal fetal anomalies, rape or incest, or serious risks to the mother’s health.
Indiana’s 2022 Senate Enrolled Act 1 (SEA 1) otherwise strictly prohibits abortions beyond these circumstances and imposes penalties on providers.
Judge Christina R. Klineman ruled that SEA 1 “substantially burdens the religious exercise of the plaintiffs” under Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA).
The injunction applies to a certified class of Hoosiers whose faith could be interpreted to justify abortions outside the law’s limited exceptions, which include lethal fetal anomalies, rape or incest, or serious risks to the mother’s health.
Indiana’s 2022 Senate Enrolled Act 1 (SEA 1) otherwise strictly prohibits abortions beyond these circumstances and imposes penalties on providers.
Judge Christina R. Klineman ruled that SEA 1 “substantially burdens the religious exercise of the plaintiffs” under Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA).
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