NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Judges have temporarily blocked abortion bans in Louisiana and Utah, while a federal court in South Carolina said a law sharply restricting the procedure would take effect there immediately. The decisions emerged as the battle over whether women may end pregnancies shifted from the nation’s highest court to courthouses around the country. The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision Friday to end constitutional protection for abortion opened the gates for a wave of litigation. One side sought quickly to put statewide bans into effect, and the other tried to stop or at least delay such measures. Much of Monday’s court activity focused on “trigger laws,” adopted in 13 states that were designed to take effect swiftly after the ruling.
Supreme Court’s abortion ruling sets off new court fights
