Maryland Attorney General Frosh Offers Support For DOJ Challenge Of Texas Abortion Law
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) -- Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh is offering his support for the Justice Department's challenge of the new Texas law that bans abortions after six weeks.
Frosh joined 24 other attorneys general in signing an amicus brief, filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, in support of the DOJ's attempt to temporarily halt the law.
Another provision of the Texas law allows private citizens to file civil lawsuits against anyone who provides an abortion after six weeks or anyone who helps a woman get an abortion.
The brief argues the new law violates the nearly five-decade old precedent, established by the U.S. Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade, that abortions are legal before a pregnancy is viable.
In a statement, Frosh specifically called out the portion of the law that allows for civil suits.
"The new Texas law is designed to terrorize women and their doctors. It puts bounties on their heads if women exercise their constitutional rights, and it puts their health in jeopardy," he said.
The brief also claims that clinics New Mexico saw a sharp rise in appointments after the law took effect, straining resources in the state, and that other states are bracing for a similar influx of patients from Texas.