US Supreme Court Taking On First Abortion-Related Case To Decide Whether KY AG Can Still Prohibit Dismemberment Abortions

Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron

The United States Supreme Court is reportedly taking on for the first time an abortion-related case filed by Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron in defending a state law against dismemberment abortions.

According to the Christian Headlines, the Supreme Court announced last Monday that it will be hearing this coming fall the case filed by Cameron and will be the first of its kind considering Judge Amy Coney Barrett is now in court.

The issue, the Christian Headlines said, was filed in the U.S. Sixth Court of Appeals and tackles if it legal for an attorney general to continue to defend Kentucky's pro-life law, which is House Bill 454.

The law, officially entitled "An Act Relating To The Human Rights Of Unborn Children And Declaring An Emergency" as per the Kentucky General Assembly website, was signed into law by Governor Matt Bevin. It primarily prohibits dismemberment abortions.

The Christian Headlines elaborated that dismemberment abortion is "an abortion procedure known as dilation and evacuation, in which an unborn baby is dismembered, piece by piece, while still in the womb or birth canal." The media outlet said Cameron defended the law in behalf of the Health and Family Services of the Kentucky Cabinet. The law, however, was ruled unconstitutional by a Sixth Circuit panel that during the administration of Cameron's predecessor, Governor Andy Beshear, was not appealed.

Cameron, being the current attorney general, took it upon himself to defend the law but the Sixth Circuit declined. This prompted Cameron to bring the appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

"I promised Kentuckians that I would defend our laws all the way to the United States Supreme Court, and that's what we've done. Since day one in office, we've fought to defend House Bill 454, even when the Beshear Administration refused to defend it," the Christian Headlines quoted Cameron in saying.

"This law reflects the conscience of Kentucky by banning the gruesome practice of live dismemberment abortions, and it's important that Kentuckians have a voice before our nation's highest court." he added. "I was elected to provide that voice, and we look forward to making our case to the Supreme Court."

This echoes his "commitment to make sure" his office "can improve the public safety outcomes of men, women, and children of all 120 counties" of Kentucky.

As per the Christian Headlines, the Supreme Court will decide on "whether a state attorney general vested with the power to defend state law should be permitted to intervene after a federal court of appeals invalidates a state statute when no other state actor will defend the law" and will release its decision sometime next year.

Meanwhile in his Twitter account, Cameron announced about his actions for the said law that is posted with a video on it last Tuesday.

"Earlier today, I announced that #SCOTUS will decide whether our office can defend Kentucky's law prohibiting live dismemberment abortions," he said.

In similar news, the U.S. Supreme Court earlier blocked the "Abortion by Mail" lower court decision involving the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that now requires pregnant women to visit a doctor first prior to acquiring pills for medical abortion during the pandemic. Judge Amy Barrett was said to have sided with the conservative vote of 6-3.