UPDATED::Missouri Court to Hear Landmark Case on Satanic Temple Abortion

UPDATE::  The Satanic Temple Wins Appeal in Missouri Abortion Case

On Tuesday the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on The Satanic Temple’s appeal in their case to claim religious exemption from the state’s informed consent and mandatory waiting period abortion restrictions. In a unanimous decision the court has overturned the case’s dismissal and transferred the case to the Missouri Supreme Court.

 “Ms. Doe’s claims challenging the validity of certain sections of the Informed Consent Law under the Religion Clauses are real and substantial,” wrote Judge Thomas Newton in the ruling’s conclusion.

For over two years, The Satanic Temple (TST) has pursued a lawsuit against the Governor and Attorney General of Missouri, alleging that the State’s mandated “informed consent” materials, ultrasound, and 72-hour waiting period violated a member of The Satanic Temple’s First Amendment rights. This September, TST’s abortion lawsuits in the State of Missouri will reach a turning point when the Missouri State Court of Appeals and the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit will hear oral arguments in a case that could change state regulations for religiously motivated abortions.

On May 8, 2015 TST filed both state and federal lawsuits against the State of Missouri on behalf of Mary Doe, a pregnant woman seeking an abortion. Missouri law requires that all women seeking to lawfully terminate their pregnancy must be given reading materials claiming that life begins at conception. They must also endure a 72-hour waiting period between their initial appointment and actual abortion procedure. TST objects to these restrictions on religious grounds because they violate the organization’s belief in the inviolability of one’s body.

Missouri Court to Hear Landmark Case on Satanic Temple Abortion