South Florida Jewish congregation challenges new abortion law

TALLAHASSEE — A South Florida Jewish congregation has challenged a new point out law that blocks abortions just after 15 months of pregnancy, contending the evaluate violates privacy and religious-liberty legal rights.

The lawsuit, submitted Friday in Leon County circuit courtroom by Congregation L’Dor Va-Dor, seeks to block the legislation from getting outcome July 1. Abortion clinics also submitted a lawsuit this month in Leon County hard the constitutionality of the restriction.

The two instances include allegations that the legislation, signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in April, violates a privateness appropriate in the Florida Constitution that has prolonged played a pivotal function in abortion cases in the point out.

But the lawsuit filed Friday by the Palm Seashore County congregation also contends that the regulation violates spiritual-flexibility legal rights.

[ RELATED: Florida’s 15-week abortion ban faces challenge  ]

“For Jews, all life is treasured and hence the determination to carry new existence into the earth is not taken flippantly or established by condition fiat,” the lawsuit claimed. “In Jewish legislation, abortion is essential if important to shield the wellness, mental or physical effectively-remaining of the woman, or for several other reasons not permitted under the act (the new legislation). As these kinds of, the act prohibits Jewish women of all ages from practicing their faith free of authorities intrusion and consequently violates their privateness legal rights and religious flexibility.”

The lawsuit also stated congregation associates and other people today who “do not share the religious sights reflected in the act will put up with … irreparable hurt by acquiring their religious flexibility under the Florida Constitution violated.”

“This failure to maintain the separation of church and point out, like so many other legislation in other lands all over history, threatens the Jewish relatives, and so also threatens the Jewish persons by imposing the legal guidelines of other religions on Jews,” the lawsuit said.

[ RELATED: Florida no longer a haven for abortion access ]

The 15-7 days abortion limit was a person of the most-controversial difficulties of this year’s legislative session and arrived as the U.S. Supreme Court docket considers the constitutionality of a comparable Mississippi regulation. A leaked draft viewpoint in the Supreme Court docket circumstance indicated justices could use it to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion decision.

When DeSantis signed the bill, he held an function at a Kissimmee church, with screens exhibiting the message, “Florida protege el derecho la vida,” or “Florida guards the correct to daily life.”

“We are here currently to defend lifetime. We are right here nowadays to protect people who can’t defend by themselves,” DeSantis claimed.

The law stops medical professionals from executing abortions just after 15 weeks, primarily based on the to start with working day of the woman’s last menstrual period of time. It incorporates limited exemptions, such as in situations when medical professionals certify that abortions are essential to preserve the life of pregnant females.

[ RELATED: South Florida abortion rights supporters mobilize after leaked draft Supreme Court opinion ]

The lawsuit filed Friday names as defendants DeSantis and several other state officers. It has been assigned to Circuit Decide Layne Smith. The other situation submitted June 1 by abortion clinics is pending just before Circuit Decide John Cooper.