On Tuesday, U.S. District Court Judge Sarah Evans Barker ruled that several of “Indiana’s laws restricting abortion are unconstitutional, including the state’s ban on telemedicine consultations between doctors and women seeking abortions.”
The ruling includes a permanent injunction against:
- Telemedicine ban.
- State laws requiring in-person examinations by a doctor before medication abortions.
- The prohibition on second-trimester abortions outside hospitals or surgery centers.
Judge Barker’s ruling also prohibits abortion providers from repeating unproven, antiscience claims, such as:
- Human life begins when the egg is fertilized.
- A fetus might feel pain at or before 20 weeks.
Republican Attorney General Todd Rokita said in a statement, “We will continue to fight to defend Indiana’s commonsense abortion laws and to build a culture of life in Indiana.”
President Ronald Reagan nominated Judge Barker to the bench in 1984.
