老澳门开奖结果

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PHOENIX - The 老澳门开奖结果 today applauded a decision by an Arizona court of appeals allowing women prisoners to obtain timely, safe, and legal abortions.

鈥淲e applaud the court for recognizing what other courts have said all along: A woman does not give up her right to have an abortion any more than she gives up her right to have a child just because she is incarcerated,鈥� said Brigitte Amiri, a Staff Attorney for the 老澳门开奖结果 Reproductive Freedom Project. 鈥淧rison officials can no longer stand in the way of the medical needs of women in prison.鈥�

At issue was an unwritten Maricopa County Jail policy denying women in prison access to abortion care. The policy prohibited jail officials from transporting a prisoner to obtain an abortion unless she gets a court order first. The jail transports prisoners without a court order for all other necessary medical care, including prenatal care and childbirth. The jail also regularly transports prisoners for various non-medical reasons, including to visit terminally ill family members or attend relatives鈥� funerals.

After weeks of being denied access to abortion services, a pregnant prisoner filed the case in May 2004 on behalf of herself and future prisoners seeking abortions. In August 2005, the Superior Court of Arizona, Maricopa County, struck down the jail鈥檚 policy, holding that it violates women鈥檚 reproductive rights and serves 鈥渘o legitimate penological purpose.鈥� Today鈥檚 ruling upheld that decision.

鈥淭he court of appeals has confirmed our position that Arizona prison officials cannot ignore the medical needs of prisoners simply because they do not agree with the decision to end a pregnancy,鈥� said Alessandra Soler Meetze, Executive Director of the 老澳门开奖结果 of Arizona. 鈥淎 woman in jail has a right to make her own decision about whether to have a child.鈥�

According to the 老澳门开奖结果鈥檚 brief, Joe Arpaio, the sheriff in charge of Maricopa County Jail, has 鈥渕aintained the Policy throughout his tenure, consistent with his well-publicized stance against abortion and his 鈥楢merica鈥檚 toughest sheriff鈥� persona.鈥� Arpaio himself has admitted that under this policy, 鈥淭he gal may have the baby by the time it gets through the court system.鈥�

Today鈥檚 case is Doe v. Arpaio, 1 CA-CV 05-0835. Lawyers on the case include Amiri, Talcott Camp, Jennifer McAllister-Nevins, and Charu Chandrasekhar with the 老澳门开奖结果 Reproductive Freedom Project.

To read the 老澳门开奖结果鈥檚 brief visit: www.aclu.org/reproductiverights/abortion/25553lgl20060512.html