CNA Staff, Jul 10, 2020 / 16:34 pm
A federal judge ruled against an Indiana law requiring medical providers to inform the state if they treat any complications connected to a prior abortion.
U.S. District Judge Richard Young ruled Wednesday that the law was "unconstitutionally vague." He said the legislation was unclear about how and when doctors should report potential complications, as well as what criteria should be used to determine whether a later condition is tied a previous abortion.
"The indeterminacy of the statute's requirements denies fair notice to physicians and invites arbitrary enforcement by prosecutors," Young wrote.
"The language of the statute does not make clear whether the duty to report covers conditions exclusively caused by the abortion procedure, conditions that are only slightly caused or exacerbated by the abortion procedure, or something in between."