U.S. Supreme Court
Supreme Court Turns Down Inmate Abortion Case
Posted Mar 24, 2008, 10:26 am CST
By Debra Cassens Weiss
The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to decide whether an Arizona sheriff may refuse to provide transportation to inmates who want abortions.
Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said he adopted the policy to carry out state laws barring the use of taxpayer money for abortions. He had refused to provide transportation unless an inmate first obtained a court order that required it. But the Arizona Supreme Court had ruled the transportation ban interfered with inmates’ constitutional right to abortion, the Associated Press reports.
The Supreme Court's refusal to hear the case lets stand the ruling by the Arizona high court.
Staff attorney Brigitte Amiri of the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project praised the court's announcement in a statement. "As we have shown throughout this case, a pregnant woman in prison does not lose her right to decide to have an abortion any more than she gives up her right to have a child," she said.
The ACLU had challenged Arpaio’s policy in a lawsuit brought on behalf of a pregnant prisoner and future prisoners seeking abortions.