Filed Date: Jan. 19, 2023
Case Ongoing
Clearinghouse coding complete
On January 19, 2023, a group of religious leaders who support abortion rights filed this lawsuit in the Circuit Court of St. Louis City (Missouri state trial court) challenging the state’s Total Abortion Ban (H.B. 126), Gestational Age Bans (H.B. 126), Reason Ban (H.B. 126), 72-Hour Delay (H.B. 1307), Same-Physician Requirement (S.B. 5), Medication Abortion Restrictions (S.B. 5), and Concurrent Original Jurisdiction Provision (S.B. 5). This lawsuit, filed against the state of Missouri, the Governor, and the Attorney General of Missouri, claimed that lawmakers openly invoked their religious beliefs while drafting the measures and thereby imposed those beliefs on others who don’t share them. The religious leaders asserted that by doing so, the laws violated Article I, Sections 5, 6, and 7 of the Missouri Constitution, which deal with the separation of religion and government. Represented by the National Women's Law Center, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and private counsel, the group of religious leaders sought (1) a permanent injunction prohibiting Missouri from enforcing the challenged abortion laws and their implementing regulations, (2) a declaratory judgment stating that the challenged abortion laws violated Article I, Sections 5, 6, and 7 of the Missouri Constitution, (3) equitable remedy of recoupment to the State of all monies expended in connection with the challenged abortion laws, and (4) attorneys’ fees and costs. This case was assigned to Judge Jason M. Sengheiser.
On February 28, 2023, the prosecuting attorneys of four counties filed a motion to dismiss and on March 9, the state of Missouri filed its own motion to dismiss. Both motions are pending before the court. This case remains ongoing.
Summary Authors
Kathleen Lok (3/17/2023)
Last updated Aug. 30, 2023, 1:25 p.m.
Docket sheet not available via the Clearinghouse.State / Territory: Missouri
Case Type(s):
Key Dates
Filing Date: Jan. 19, 2023
Case Ongoing: Yes
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
13 religious leaders who support abortion rights and come from diverse faith traditions, including multiple denominations of Christianity, Unitarian Universalism, and Judaism.
Plaintiff Type(s):
Attorney Organizations:
Public Interest Lawyer: Yes
Filed Pro Se: No
Class Action Sought: No
Class Action Outcome: Not sought
Defendants
Defendant Type(s):
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Available Documents:
Outcome
Prevailing Party: None Yet / None
Nature of Relief:
Source of Relief:
Issues
Reproductive rights:
Time-based abortion prohibition
Reproductive health care (including birth control, abortion, and others)