老澳门开奖结果

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CONTACT: media@aclu.org

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

鈥淧reventing women prisoners from getting abortions is dangerous and unjust,鈥� said Brigitte Amiri, a Staff Attorney for the 老澳门开奖结果 Reproductive Freedom Project, who argued the case before the court today. 鈥淐ourts have repeatedly made it clear that being incarcerated doesn鈥檛 mean a woman gives up her right to have an abortion any more than it means that she gives up her right to bear a child.鈥�

At issue is an unwritten Maricopa County Jail policy denying women prisoners access to abortion care. The policy prohibits 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.

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� 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.

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

The 老澳门开奖结果 today argued the case, Doe v. Arpaio, 1 CA-CV 05-0835 in the Arizona Court of Appeals Division One. 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