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Supreme Court rejects plea for quick ruling on effort to stop abortion ban

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Supreme Court rejects plea for quick ruling on effort to stop abortion ban

A three-judge panel of the state Supreme Court has rejected the petition of Jackson Women’s Health Organization to allow the resumption of abortions as early as this week.

The Supreme Court justices have said that instead they will wait for arguments from Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch’s office to be submitted before ruling on the petition of the abortion supporters. The three-justice panel of James Kitchens, Dawn Beam and Kenneth Griffis has given Fitch’s office until July 25 to respond to a petition requesting that the Supreme Court rescind the abortion ban.

The abortion ban was put in place after Fitch’s office successfully argued before the U.S. Supreme Court for the reversal of Roe v. Wade, a decades-old decision that provided a national right to an abortion.

The abortion ban went into effect in Mississippi on Thursday. At the time the ban went into effect, Jackson Women’s Health Organization was the only abortion provider in the state. The clinic had filed a lawsuit asking that the ban been postponed based on a 1998 state Supreme Court ruling saying that there was a right to an abortion in Mississippi’s constitution separate from the right granted under the U.S. Constitution in Roe v. Wade.

Despite the state Supreme Court saying the right to an abortion existed in the Mississippi Constitution, Chancery Judge Debbra Halford of Franklin County refused to stop the ban from taking effect.

Now the clinic is asking the state Supreme Court to rule on the issue and is requesting a quick decision.

In a motion, attorneys for the clinic said, “By July 25, Mississippians will have been without abortion access for over two weeks. They will have been denied their rights under the Mississippi Constitution to privacy and bodily autonomy, as they are compelled by the state to endure the risks of pregnancy and bear children against their will. The deprivation of constitutional rights, and the harms of forced pregnancy and childbirth, are substantial and irreversible. Absent relief from this Court, the harm will continue.”

The three-judge panel rejected that argument, opting instead to wait for arguments from the AG, due July 25.

The abortion ban is in effect in Mississippi because of a trigger law passed in 2007 that went into effect if Roe v. Wade was overturned. Attorneys for the abortion clinic say the 1998 state Supreme Court ruling recognizing a Mississippi constitutional right to an abortion supersedes the trigger law and another Mississippi law banning abortions after six weeks.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

Mississippi News

Events happening this weekend in Mississippi: April 25-27

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www.wjtv.com – Kaitlin Howell – 2025-04-25 09:48:00

SUMMARY: This weekend in Mississippi (April 25-27) features a variety of events across Central and Pine Belt regions. Highlights include MiraGotSoul at Vibe Studio in Jackson, a community Dinner and Movie in Clinton, and the Natchez Kite Festival. Enjoy live performances with Sweet Lizzy Project in Natchez and the New Bourbon Street Jazz Band in Clinton. Family-friendly activities include the Native Plant Fest and Community Farmers Market in Jackson. In Hattiesburg, catch the Henry Cho tour and the Downtown Crawfish Jam Music Festival. Overall, it’s a weekend full of entertainment, culture, and fun activities for all ages.

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Mississippi News

Events happening this weekend in Mississippi: April 18-20

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www.wjtv.com – Kaitlin Howell – 2025-04-18 07:36:00

SUMMARY: This weekend (April 18-20), Mississippi offers a variety of events for all ages. In Jackson, enjoy Food Truck Friday, a jazz concert, free outdoor movie screenings, and multiple exhibitions including “Of Salt and Spirit” and “Hurricane Katrina: Mississippi Remembers.” For family fun, there’s an Easter Egg Hunt at the Ag Museum and “Bunnies & Butterflies” at MCM. Natchez features the Spring Pilgrimage, Lafayette’s 200th anniversary celebration, and a farmers market. In the Pine Belt, highlights include Live at Five, a Spring Candle-Making Workshop, and Easter events at the Hattiesburg Zoo. Don’t miss the Bluff City Block Party and more!

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Mississippi News

Events happening this weekend in Mississippi: April 11-13

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www.wjtv.com – Kaitlin Howell – 2025-04-11 07:37:00

SUMMARY: This weekend in Mississippi (April 11-13), enjoy a variety of events across the state. Highlights include the Eudora Welty Birthday Bash in Jackson, Trivia Night at the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science, and Boots & Bling Fundraiser in Natchez. For family fun, check out the Bunny Bonanza in Jackson or the Easter Egg Hunt in Clinton. The Natchez Concours d’Elegance Car Show and Stranger Than Fiction Film Festival offer cultural experiences, while the 12th Annual Dragon Boat Regatta in Ridgeland and the Hub City Classic Car Show in Hattiesburg provide exciting activities for all ages.

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