Abortion clinic CEO reacts to brief heard by U.S. Supreme Court [View all]

The owner of Mississippi’s only abortion clinic is reacting to a brief before the U.S. Supreme Court this week that seeks to prevent Roe v. Wade from being overturned.

Attorneys for the Jackson Women’s Health Organization state in their brief the precedent setting Roe v. Wade case of 1973, makes abortion legal until the fetus can live outside of the womb, which the law says is about 24 weeks. They also claim in the 1992 Casey v. Planned Parenthood case, the high court ruled women must have reproductive rights to participate equally in the nation’s economic and social life. Clinic owner Diane Derzis says the issue is, does a woman’s right supersede that of the fetus.

“This has been the focus of the anti-choice people since Roe actually passed and that is to put the focus on the fetus instead of on the woman who is a walking around human being,” said Derzis.

Attorneys for Mississippi argue viability isn’t the issue because there’s no constitutional right to an abortion. In a prepared statement Attorney General Lynn Fitch addressed the brief filed by the Center for Reproductive Rights on behalf of the Jackson clinic.

“Today’s brief offers no solid arguments in defense of Roe and the court should overturn this flawed hopelessly unworkable precedent. It is time to return the policy making to the people,” said Fitch.

Read more: https://www.mpbonline.org/blogs/news/abortion-clinic-ceo-reacts-to-brief-heard-by-us-supreme-court/
(MS Public Broadcasting)