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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Eye On Boise

Federal judge issues restraining order in Idaho abortion law challenge

Here's a news item from the Associated Press:  BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A federal judge has issued a temporary restraining order to keep a prosecutor from refiling charges against a woman accused of having an illegal abortion. Jennie Linn McCormack sued over Idaho's so-called "fetal pain" law banning abortions after 20 weeks and over a law that effectively prohibits women in her region from getting a medication-induced abortion. She filed the lawsuit in federal court after Bannock County Prosecutor Mark Heideman charged her with a felony, saying she obtained an abortion drug over the internet and administered it to herself. Those charges were later dropped without prejudice, allowing the prosecutor to refile the charge if he chose. On Friday, U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill issued a 14-day restraining order barring the prosecutor from refiling charges as McCormack's federal lawsuit moves forward.



Betsy Z. Russell
Betsy Z. Russell joined The Spokesman-Review in 1991. She currently is a reporter in the Boise Bureau covering Idaho state government and politics, and other news from Idaho's state capital.

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