Louisiana abortion clinics ask Supreme Court to block law News
Louisiana abortion clinics ask Supreme Court to block law

[JURIST] Louisiana abortion clinics and doctors on Friday filed a new application [document, PDF] with the US Supreme Court [official website] attempting to block a 2014 state law that would require three of the four remaining abortion clinics in the state to close. The law, which went into effect for the first time on Thursday after the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit [official website] allowed [JURIST report] its enforcement, requires [SCOTUSblog report] that doctors performing abortions have patient-admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of the abortion clinic. If this law were to continue to be enforced, three of the four remaining abortion clinics in Louisiana would have to shut down, leaving only one remaining doctor to perform abortions in the entire state. The law is identical to a Texas law that the court will address next Wednesday in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt [SCOTUSblog backgrounder]. The court will most likely have to rule on the Louisiana matter soon, as it has already caused two clinics to shut down in a matter of days.

Abortion procedures and reproductive rights issues have been heated topics throughout the US. Last week the Indiana Senate released a bill [JURIST report] from committee that would ban abortions based on genetic disabilities and would also require aborted or miscarried fetuses to be cremated or interred. Also last week the Oklahoma Supreme Court reversed [JURIST report] a lower court decision upholding a law that restricts use of medication abortion drugs. Earlier this month Ohio’s governor signed [JURIST report] a bill that would purportedly cut state-funds to Planned Parenthood by $1.3 million.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Justice Department brings anit-trust action against AT&T

On November 20, 1974, the Department of Justice filed its final anti-trust suit against AT&T. United States v. AT&T was ultimately settled out of court with an agreement that the corporation would break up its monopoly on phone service throughout the country.

Nuremberg war crimes trials began

On November 20, 1945, the war crimes trials of Nazi World War II leaders began in the German city of Nuremberg. Review the Nuremberg Tribunal's Charter and the verdicts and sentences handed down on major war figures.

Winston Churchill born

On November 20, 1874, Sir Winston Churchill was born in Woodstock, England. He would go on to lead the United Kingdom as Prime Minister through World War II. Toward the end of the war, Churchill worked with US President Franklin D. Roosevelt to craft the treaties and accords that have defined the world since WWII. A 2002 poll by the BBC declared Churchill the Greatest Briton of all time.

New Jersey ratifies Bill of Rights

New Jersey ratified the Bill of Rights, a set of 10 fundamental amendments to the US Constitution, on November 20, 1789, becoming the first state to do so. The state also ratified an amendment on federal representation which ultimately failed. Additionally, New Jersey rejected an amendment on congressional salaries, which would eventually become the 27th Amendment more than 200 years later. Read the articles ratified by New Jersey.