Judge Rejects Ohio’s Abortion Pill Law

CINCINNATI – A federal judge struck down an Ohio law restricting the use of an abortion-inducing pill, calling the law vague and saying it could jeopardize women’s health.

Wednesday’s ruling by U.S. District Judge Susan Dlott came two years after a court challenge by Ohio abortion providers.

The 2004 law, which had never taken effect, bars doctors from prescribing mifepristone, or RU-486, after the seventh week of pregnancy.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, which joined the suit this year, said the law interfered with medical decisions and criminalized practices that could be in the best interest of patients.

State officials argued the law was intended to protect women in accordance with Food and Drug Administration guidelines, which recommend that RU-486 not be prescribed to women more than seven weeks pregnant.

The judge said the law was unclear and contained no exception to allow use of the drug in cases where a woman’s health was at risk.

In September 2004, Dlott issued a temporary injunction barring enforcement of the law one day before it was to take effect.

Plaintiffs celebrated the new ruling. “This is another piece of legislation that is intended to scare doctors away from providing reproductive health care,” said Al Gerhardstein, an attorney for Planned Parenthood.

Mark Anthony, a spokesman for Attorney General Jim Petro, said Thursday that his office was reviewing the ruling and hadn’t decided whether to appeal.