SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A federal judge will allow the state of Utah to collect evidence as they defend a new ban on abortions after 18-weeks.
U.S. District Judge Clark Waddoups said his Thursday ruling doesn't signal the ultimate outcome of the case, but it would create a complete record for his ultimate decision on whether the ban should stand.
Attorneys for Utah's chapters of Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union had argued that it wasn't necessary to collect evidence, since the ban runs afoul of the Supreme Court's longtime stance that states cannot ban abortion before the fetus is viable outside the womb.
Utah, though, said conducting discovery would show why the law is needed, and create a record for possible future appeals.