David E. Hoy • Attorney and Counselor at Law
| The
7th Circuit Court of Appeals last week upheld Illinois and Wisconsin laws
banning partial-birth abortion. World
Magazine Nov. 6, 1999 Volume 14; Number
43
Supreme Court or bust The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals last week upheld Illinois and Wisconsin laws banning partial-birth abortion. The 5-4 decision reversed a lower court's ruling that the Illinois law was unconstitutional and an appeals panel's order that temporarily stopped enforcement of the Wisconsin law. The Wisconsin law provides for life imprisonment of anyone performing such an abortion, except to save the life of the mother. Partial-birth abortionists receive a three-year sentence under the Illinois statute. The decision conflicts with an 8th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling, one month earlier, that a Nebraska ban on the procedure was unconstitutional. Activists on both sides of the issue predicted that the U.S. Supreme Court would settle the matter. The 7th Circuit Court's ruling "creates a constitutional crisis which will probably go to the Supreme Court," said Janet Benshoof of the Center for Reproductive Law and Policy. Douglas Johnson of National Right to Life agreed that the high court likely would rule, "perhaps next year, on whether Roe vs. Wade covers pulling most of a living baby feet-first outside of the womb, puncturing her skull, and removing her brain." Reprinted with permission from WORLD Magazine, ©1999 Actual resolution of legal issues depends upon many factors, including variations of facts and state laws. This web publication in not intended to provide legal advice for specific subjects, but rather to provide insight into legal developments and issues that we feel could be useful to our clients and friends. |
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