Florida Supreme Court weighs protections for the unborn
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys filed a friend-of-the-court brief Monday with the Florida Supreme Court on behalf of Concerned Women for America, urging the court to uphold the state’s pro-life law protecting the unborn.
In 2022, Florida passed the Reducing Fetal and Infant Mortality Act, which safeguards mothers and their unborn children from the harms of late-term abortions by protecting unborn babies beyond 15 weeks’ gestation. Planned Parenthood immediately sued to halt enforcement of the law, which the trial court did. The state of Florida then appealed, and now the case, Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida v. State of Florida, is before the state’s high court.
“Florida is eager to affirm that life is a human right, and, to that end, the state has enacted a pro-life law protecting that most fundamental of rights for babies. After 15 weeks’ gestation, an unborn baby’s heart has beat over 20 million times and circulates about 55 quarts of blood per day. The baby has fingers, toes, and a unique fingerprint. They can feel pain, and are practicing breathing, crying, and sucking in the womb,” said ADF Senior Counsel Denise Harle, director of the ADF Center for Life.
“Pro-life laws like Florida’s are also critical for protecting women’s health and ensuring they have the support they need during a difficult time. Every woman deserves access to real health care, not the dangerous and unnecessary procedures Planned Parenthood sells to make a profit. We urge the Florida Supreme Court to uphold the state’s law that protects mothers and their unborn children,” Harle continued.
In their brief, ADF attorneys explain that “Florida has a strong interest in protecting its citizens from the harms of late-term abortion. This aligns with the public’s interest in the enforcement of duly enacted laws that regulate the integrity of the medical profession and protect health, welfare, and safety of Floridians. These interests far outweigh Planned Parenthood’s desire to increase its profit margin.”
ADF attorneys are working in many other states to defend pro-life laws:
- Pronunciation guide: Harle (HAR'-lee)
Alliance Defending Freedom is an alliance-building, non-profit legal organization committed to protecting religious freedom, free speech, parental rights, and the sanctity of life.
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