RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina’s 12-week abortion ban has its first day in court Wednesday — but it isn’t the judge’s first time presiding over a case on abortion.
Judge Catherine Eagles, a district judge for the Middle District of North Carolina, is presiding over a lawsuit filed by Planned Parenthood South Atlantic and a North Carolina OB-GYN against the state’s new abortion law. She’s spent around 40 years as a judge and lawyer, and now, Eagles will decide whether to block the 12-week abortion ban from going into effect July 1.
The lawsuit seeks to overturn multiple provisions, such as inconsistencies about when a medical abortion can be performed — until 10 weeks or 12 weeks. However, North Carolina Senate Republicans moved in the past week to amend that provision to make it clearer. They sent a new bill including that change to Gov. Roy Cooper on Tuesday.
