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After almost a year of deliberation, an injunction blocking Utah’s near-total abortion ban will remain in place after a ruling by the Utah Supreme Court.
In a 4-1 decision, the justices determined that The Planned Parenthood Association of Utah has standing to challenge the state’s so-called “trigger law,” which bans virtually all abortion in the state with few exceptions. Associate Chief Justice John A. Pearce wrote for the majority that a lower court did not abuse its discretion when granting the injunction in 2022.
However, the court did “not decide the merits of PPAU’s claims that SB 174 infringes on rights the Utah Constitution protects.”
This means the injunction stays in place while the underlying case is determined in the lower court. Abortion is still legal in Utah up to 18 weeks of pregnancy.