A Texan woman, who had sought a legal medical exemption for an abortion, has departed the state following a pause by the Texas Supreme Court on a lower court’s decision permitting the procedure, as reported by lawyers from the Center for Reproductive Rights on Monday.
Last week, State District Judge Maya Guerra Gamble had granted permission for Kate Cox, a 31-year-old mother of two from Dallas, to terminate her pregnancy. According to court records, Cox’s doctors had informed her that her baby suffered from the chromosomal disorder trisomy 18, a condition often leading to stillbirth or early infant mortality.
At the time of the court filing, Cox was 20 weeks pregnant. The Center for Reproductive Rights, which initiated the lawsuit, revealed that Cox left the state due to an urgency to undergo the procedure.
“Her health is at risk,” emphasized Center for Reproductive Rights CEO Nancy Northup. “She has been in and out of the emergency room, and waiting any longer was not an option.” a legal medical exemption
In response to Judge Gamble’s decision, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton cautioned a medical center in Texas, stating that performing an abortion could result in legal consequences.
In an unsigned order late Friday, the Texas Supreme Court then temporarily paused Gamble’s ruling.Â
After Kate Cox left the state, the Texas Supreme Court, on Monday, lifted the previously imposed pause, deeming it moot, and reversed the lower court’s decision that had granted Cox’s abortion request.
The state’s highest court asserted in its opinion that Cox’s doctor held the authority to determine whether her case met the criteria for an exception to the state’s abortion prohibition—specifically, whether her life or a major bodily function was at risk due to her pregnancy.
The court concluded that Cox’s doctor did not express a “good faith belief” regarding whether Cox’s condition met the legal standard. Nevertheless, the lower court had granted her an exception to proceed with the abortion.