Court allows pro-life centers to defend AZ 24-hour waiting period law

The following quote may be attributed to Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Denise Harle regarding the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona’s order Monday that allows Choices Pregnancy Centers of Greater Phoenix to intervene in the lawsuit Planned Parenthood Arizona v. Brnovich to defend a state law ensuring that, before an elective abortion, women have at least 24 hours to reflect and investigate after receiving critical information about abortion and available alternatives:

“Abortion is a life-altering decision, and no woman should be rushed or pressured into it. Tragically, many women turn to abortion because they feel hopeless and are unaware of the resources available to them. Yet Planned Parenthood is seeking to have Arizona’s commonsense protection for women struck down even though the U.S. Supreme Court already upheld a similar law. Many medical experts agree that significant, non-emergency medical procedures should not be done on a drop-in basis. And women who undergo abortions without adequate time to process the serious consequences and come to a place of certainty are much more likely to experience negative mental health issues. Our client, Choices Pregnancy Centers, understands this well and is one of many organizations that provide compassionate help to women facing unplanned pregnancies or grief after abortion. We are pleased that Choices will be able to help defend Arizona’s law.”

Alliance Defending Freedom is an alliance-building, non-profit legal organization that advocates for the right of people to freely live out their faith.