Florida judge files injunction, blocking new 15-week abortion ban

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A Florida judge on Tuesday temporarily blocked a new 15-week abortion ban days after it took effect in the state, an expected move following an oral ruling last week in which he said the law violated the state constitution.

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Judge John C. Cooper issued the order in a case brought by reproductive health providers who argued that the state constitution guarantees a right to the procedure. The state is expected to appeal. The law had gone into effect Friday before being blocked.

The decision came as abortion laws change at a frenzied pace across the country following the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, with several state laws and court cases shifting access to the procedure.

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The law prohibits abortions after 15 weeks, with exceptions if the procedure is necessary to save the pregnant woman’s life, prevent serious injury or if the fetus has a fatal abnormality. It does not allow for exemptions in cases where pregnancies were caused by rape, incest or human trafficking.

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The law was passed by the GOP-controlled legislature and signed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis this spring.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.

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VIDEO: Hundreds march across downtown Orlando for abortion rights Hundreds of people marched across downtown Orlando in the name of women’s rights. (Chantelle Navarro, WFTV.com/WFTV)

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