A decision filed Monday by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals allows a group of Arizona doctors to challenge a state law banning abortions sought for fetal genetic disorders.
The decision paves the way for a trial.
The appellate panel said the doctors have legal standing because there is a credible threat they could end up being prosecuted over the 2021 state law.
That law made it a class 6 felony, with possible prison time, for a doctor to terminate a pregnancy if the mother seeks the procedure solely due to genetic abnormalities.
Attorneys for the doctors argue the law's language, such as what constitutes a fetal abnormality, is vague
The appellate judges have not addressed whether there is a constitutional right to an abortion, but acknowledged the potential harm to doctors.
