美国联邦法官B·林恩·温米尔周四裁定，爱达荷州不得对为保护孕妇健康或防止自伤而进行堕胎的医生提起刑事诉讼[1]。温米尔认定爱达荷州的《生命保护法》和《胎心法》违反了第14修正案的正当程序和平等保护条款[1]。提起诉讼的医生斯蒂西·塞布寻求在不违反州法的情况下为患有严重健康风险的患者提供堕胎服务[1]。
根据现行州法，医生若违反堕胎禁令可被吊销执照和监禁长达5年[1]。爱达荷州法律中包含的例外条款范围狭隘，仅涵盖防止孕妇死亡或在强奸/乱伦案例中（已报警）的堕胎[1]。医生塞布表示该禁令迫使患者前往其他州，数名严重妊娠并发症患者因此被送往犹他州[1]。温米尔在裁决中强调，孕妇的健康不是由立法机构随意分配的州资源[1]。法官指出自杀和过量用药是美国孕妇及产后人群的主要死亡原因[1]。在2018至2021年间，心理健康状况是爱达荷州产妇死亡的最常见根本原因[1]。
尽管此项裁决禁止了刑事起诉，医生仍可能根据爱达荷州另一部法律面临民事处罚，该法允许流产胎儿的扩大家庭成员对医疗提供者提起诉讼，要求赔偿至少2万美元[1]。爱达荷州检察长拉乌尔·拉瓦多已表示将上诉[1]。爱达荷州选民将在秋季就是否推翻州堕胎禁令进行投票[1]。
U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill ruled on Thursday that Idaho cannot prosecute physicians who perform abortions to protect pregnant patients' health or prevent self-harm.[1] The judge determined that Idaho's Life Protection Act and Heartbeat Law violate the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment.[1] Winmill wrote that "a pregnant woman's health is not a state resource to be apportioned arbitrarily by the legislature."[1]
The ruling stems from a lawsuit filed by Dr. Stacey Sab, who sought legal protection to provide abortion services to patients with serious pregnancy-related health complications without violating state law.[1] The doctor noted that the abortion ban has forced patients to travel to other states, including several with severe pregnancy complications who were transferred to Utah.[1] Physicians who violate Idaho's abortion restrictions face license revocation and imprisonment of up to five years.[1] Idaho's law contains narrow exceptions only for cases preventing the pregnant person's death or involving rape or incest when reported to authorities.[1]
The judge emphasized that suicide and drug overdose are leading causes of death among pregnant individuals and postpartum populations in America.[1] Between 2018 and 2021, mental health conditions were the most common underlying cause of maternal deaths in Idaho.[1] However, doctors may still face civil liability under another Idaho statute that allows expanded family members of the aborted fetus to sue medical providers for at least $20,000.[1] Idaho's Attorney General Raoul Labrador indicated he intends to appeal the decision.[1] Idaho voters will decide in the coming fall whether to overturn the state's abortion ban.[1]