NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A federal judge who struck down Tennessee’s 48-hour waiting period for abortions as unconstitutional earlier this year has ruled against the state again.
U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman refused on Monday to put his earlier order on hold while the state appeals to the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Freidman ruled in October that Tennessee’s waiting period law serves no legitimate purpose while placing a substantial burden on women who seek abortions in Tennessee.
The 2015 law required women to make two trips to an abortion clinic, first for mandatory counseling and then for the abortion at least 48 hours later.
