Abortion Ban Lacking Exceptions Remains on Hold in North Dakota

Abortion remains mostly legal in North Dakota for now, as the state’s top court on Thursday declined to allow a near-total ban to take effect while litigation over its validity proceeds.

The North Dakota Supreme Court refused to lift Burleigh County District Court Presiding Judge Bruce A. Romanick’s order blocking enforcement of a law that criminalizes abortions at every stage, without exception.

The law allows doctors facing prosecution to raise medical necessity or the fact that the pregnancy resulted from rape or incest as affirmative defenses. But it doesn’t contain exceptions to protect the mother’s life or health.

Red River ...