By: Selena Simmons-Duffin
Texas Alliance for Life, a group that lobbied in the state legislature for the current abortion laws, published a statement about Cox’s case Wednesday. “We believe that the exception language in Texas laws is clear,” wrote the group’s communication director Amy O’Donnell, and accused the Center for Reproductive Rights of pretending to seek clarity while really attempting to “chisel away” at Texas’s abortion laws.
The timeline of this case was very quick. “I have to be honest, I’ve never done this before, and that’s because no one’s ever done this before,” Duane says. “But usually when you ask for a temporary restraining order, the court will act very, very quickly in acknowledgement of the emergency circumstances.”
The hearing was held via Zoom on Thursday morning.
The State of Texas cannot appeal the decision directly, says Duane. “They would have to file what’s called a writ of mandamus, saying that the district court acted so far out of its jurisdiction and that there needs to be a reversal,” Duane explains. “But filing a petition like that is not does not automatically stay the injunction the way that an appeal of a temporary injunction does.”