Judge Halts Louisiana Abortion Law

A federal judge has temporarily blocked a Louisiana abortion law that could have forced a shut down of all the state's clinics. The law, which mandates providers have privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of their offices, was supposed to take effect on Monday. Judge John deGravelle ruled that the doctors at the three abortion clinics that filed the suit were not given enough time to meet all of the law's regulations. “Plaintiffs will not be subject to the penalties and sanctions allowed in the statute at this time or in the future for practicing without the relevant admitting privileges during the applications process. Plaintiffs will be allowed to operate lawfully while continuing their efforts to obtain privileges,” wrote deGravelle in his ruling. In addition to the stringent medical restriction, the law subjects doctors to harsh penalties, including a $4,000 fine for every time they do not comply with the restrictions and loss of their medical licenses.