Federal judge blocks enforcement of Texas abortion ban

A District Court judge in Texas yesterday issued an injunction barring enforcement of Texas's abortion ban, describing it as plainly unconstitutional and designed to avoid judicial scrutiny.

"In a 113-page opinion, Pitman took Texas to task over the law, saying Republican lawmakers had 'contrived an unprecedented and transparent statutory scheme' by leaving enforcement solely in the hands of private citizens, who are entitled to collect $10,000 in damages if they bring successful lawsuits against abortion providers who violate the restrictions."

Now it heads up to higher courts. The consensus seems to be that the U.S. Supreme Court could explicitly rule on Roe v. Wade through other challenges to it on the docket because this case is really about Texas's private enforcement trick for passing otherwise unconstitutional laws. But like the court itself, coverage is now so angry and partisan that it's hard to know what to believe.