Indiana Judge Upholds Abortion Ban, Rejects Expansion of Exceptions

Indiana prohibits abortions except in cases of rape, incest, lethal fetal anomalies, or when a woman’s life or health is at risk.

Pro-life activists hold up signs inside the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis, Ind., on July 25, 2022. Jon Cherry/Getty Images

An Indiana county judge has ruled against abortion providers and advocacy groups seeking to broaden access to abortion under the state’s near-total ban, enacted in 2022 after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

Judge Kelsey Blake Hanlon, who presided over a three-day trial in May, issued an order on Sept. 11 that denies a request for a permanent injunction sought by Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Indiana, which mounted a legal challenge against Senate Bill 1 (SB 1).