Virginia Withdraws from Lawsuit over Mississippi Abortion Law

Virginia’s new attorney general has withdrawn the state from a landmark lawsuit that could determine the legality of abortion nationwide.

“Following the change in Administration on January 15, 2022, the Attorney General has reconsidered Virginia’s position in this case,” Attorney General Jason Miyares’ office said in a letter addressed to the Supreme Court. “The purpose of this letter is to notify the Court that Virginia no longer adheres to the arguments contained in its previously filed brief. Virginia is now of the view that the Constitution is silent on question of abortion, and that it is therefore up to the people in the several States to determine the legal status and regulatory treatment of abortion.”

The case revolves around Mississippi’s abortion law, billed as a challenge to Roe V. Wade, which bans abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. The only exception to the law is if the mother’s life is in jeopardy.

The Jackson Women’s Health Organization, an abortion clinic, initially brought the lawsuit. A district court granted the plaintiff injunctive relief on the grounds that the law violates the Fourteenth Amendment, effectively placing enforcement of the new law on hold. The U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld that decision.

But the Mississippi Department of Health (MDOH) appealed the appellate court’s ruling, and the Supreme Court has decided that it will hear the case.

When the lawsuit reached the federal level, 22 states and the District of Columbia joined the plaintiff. Virginia, which previously had a Democrat attorney general, was one of those states…. (Excerpts from the Virginia Star)