Supreme Court of the United States
Moyle v. United States
June 27, 2024 · Affects: ID
The Supreme Court dismissed the case challenging whether Idaho's near-total abortion ban conflicts with the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), which requires hospital emergency rooms to provide stabilizing treatment. The dismissal as "improvidently granted" left the underlying legal question unresolved.
Practical impact: Idaho's near-total abortion ban went back into effect. Emergency room doctors in Idaho cannot perform abortions even when a patient's health is in serious danger — only when death is imminent. The broader EMTALA conflict will need to be litigated in lower courts before reaching the Supreme Court again.
Arizona Supreme Court
Planned Parenthood Arizona v. Mayes (Arizona 1864 Ban Ruling)
April 9, 2024 · Affects: AZ
The Arizona Supreme Court ruled that an 1864 law banning nearly all abortions could be enforced. The law, written before Arizona was a state, prohibits all abortions except to save the mother's life and would impose criminal penalties on providers.
Practical impact: Arizona's legislature subsequently repealed the 1864 law (effective June 2024), preventing the ban from taking effect. Arizona currently allows abortion up to 15 weeks under a 2022 law. Voters passed Proposition 139 in November 2024, enshrining abortion rights in the state constitution through fetal viability.
Texas Supreme Court
Zurawski v. State of Texas
April 5, 2024 · Affects: TX
Texas's highest court upheld the state's near-total abortion ban and refused to create a clear standard for when doctors can intervene to protect a patient's life or health. The court ruled that the existing "medical emergency" exception is sufficient but left its definition vague.
Practical impact: Physicians in Texas remain at legal risk even when performing abortions for documented medical emergencies. The ruling effectively means doctors must wait until a patient is on the verge of death before acting. Several patients who brought the lawsuit had experienced severe, preventable health complications.
Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals
Green v. Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky
June 1, 2023 · Affects: IN, IL, WI
The Seventh Circuit struck down Indiana's mandatory ultrasound law requiring providers to display and describe an ultrasound to abortion patients before the procedure, finding it imposed an undue burden. The ruling was issued under Casey's framework before Dobbs was fully applied.
Practical impact: The decision applied in Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin. Indiana subsequently passed stricter abortion restrictions following Dobbs. The underlying Indiana near-total ban went into effect in 2022.
Supreme Court of the United States
Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization
June 24, 2022 · Affects: AL, AR, ID, KY, LA, MS, MO, ND, OK, SD, TN, TX, WV
The Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade (1973) and Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992), holding that the Constitution does not confer a right to abortion. The Court returned the authority to regulate abortion to each individual state.
Practical impact: Triggered immediate abortion bans or severe restrictions in 13 states. All remaining protections for abortion access now depend entirely on state law, with no federal constitutional floor. Women in restrictive states must travel for care or use telehealth services.