Pro-Abortion Judge Rules against Arizona Women and Children

Judge Donald Daughton – a judge who has donated to pro-abortion political candidates – today issued a preliminary injunction putting Arizona's new abortion restrictions, set to take effect tomorrow, on hold. Two judges from Maricopa County Superior Court had recused themselves, bringing Daughton temporarily out of retirement to hand Planned Parenthood a victory.The injunction unjustifiably protects the profit-driven abortion industry by blocking two laws approved earlier this year by the Arizona Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Jan Brewer.Daughton did not rule on a provision requiring a woman seeking an abortion to be given information about the many risks of abortion 24 hours in advance.A U.S. District judge has yet to decide on a narrower challenge filed by a group of abortion providers and abortion-rights supporters.The abortion industry is hoping to set precedents in these high-profile cases that would make abortion virtually immune to the most modest of regulations.Daughton’s injuction will delay the start of laws requiring: • information about abortions be given to a woman "orally and in person," as opposed to over the phone or some other method; • that the information be given by the doctor who will perform the procedure or the referring doctor, rather than by a qualified staff member; • that the information be given by the doctor who will perform the abortion or the referring doctor, even when the abortion will be performed by a nurse practitioner or a physician assistant, as permitted by law; • a notarized statement of parental consent.  The judge said this provision must be on hold until the Arizona Secretary of State gives "adequate notice" to all Notaries Public as to how to handle the confidentiality of abortion consent.The delay of these laws puts more women and children in Arizona at risk.