A federal judge in Montgomery, Alabama, ruled on Monday that abortion rights advocates can move forward with lawsuits against the state's attorney general regarding threats to prosecute individuals who assist women in traveling to other states for abortions. U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson denied Attorney General Steve Marshall's request to dismiss the case, which revolves around the potential use of anti-conspiracy laws to target those aiding Alabama women seeking abortions out of state.
Alabama currently prohibits abortion at any stage of pregnancy without exceptions for cases of rape and incest. The lawsuits seek a legal clarification that the state cannot prosecute individuals for facilitating lawful out-of-state abortions. While Judge Thompson did not issue a final ruling, he acknowledged that the attorney general cannot constitutionally prosecute individuals for actions taken within Alabama to support legal activities in other states, such as obtaining an abortion.
