WELL, I AM LIVE AT THE ARE MADE A FAIR. IT’S HOT. IT’S HUMID, BUT IT’S A LOT OF FUN. I’VE GOT
YOUR FORECAST FOR THE WEEKEND
COMING UP. LOCAL 4 NEWS STARTS
NOW, WITH THE BREAKING NEWS
ALERT. GOOD AFTERNOON. I’M KAREN
DREW FIRST AT FOUR. A WOMAN’S
ABILITY TO GET AN ABORTION IN
MICHIGAN REMAINS PROTECTED BY A
RESTRAINING ORDER AS LEGAL
BATTLES CONTINUE WHEN VOTERS
MIGHT GET THEIR SAY AT THE
BALLOT BOX IN NOVEMBER. TODAY IN
OAKLAND COUNTY JUDGE MADE IT
CLEAR HE HAS GRAVE CONCERNS
ABOUT ENFORCING A 1931 ABORTION
BAN IN THE STATE. AS CURRENTLY
APPLIED. THE COURT FINDS THE
STATE STATUTE DANGEROUS AND
CHILLING TO OUR STATE’S
POPULATION OF CHILDBEARING
PEOPLE AND THE MEDICAL
PROFESSIONALS WHO CARE FOR THEM
. JUDGE JACOB CUNNINGHAM SPENT
ABOUT 30 MINUTES EXPLAINING WHY
HE’S LEAVING A RESTRAINING ORDER
IN PLACE, PREVENTING COUNTY
PROSECUTORS FROM ENFORCING THAT
90 YEAR OLD LAW. THE REASONS
INCLUDE HIS BELIEF, DOCTORS AND
WOMEN. COULD BE HARMED IF THE
INJUNCTION WERE LIFTED.
PROSECUTORS LOOKING TO ENFORCE
THE BAN WILL NOT BE HARMED AT
ALL. THE COURT SUGGESTS THE
COUNTY PROSECUTORS FOCUS THEIR
ATTENTION AND RESOURCES IN THE
MEANTIME, TO INVESTIGATION AND
PROSECUTION OF CRIMINAL SEXUAL
CONDUCT, HOMICIDE, ARSON, CHILD
AND ELDER ABUSE, ANIMAL CRUELTY
AND OTHER VIOLENT, HORRIFIC
CRIMES THAT WE SEE IN OUR
SOCIETY LIKE A CHAIN IS ONLY AS
STRONG AS ITS WEAKEST LINK. OUR
STATE IS ONLY AS STRONG AS ITS
MOST VULNERABLE AND AT RISK
POPULATIONS. CRIMINALIZATION OF
OUR MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS FOR
TREATING THE WOMEN SEEKING
APPROPRIATE, SAFE,
CONSTITUTIONALLY PROTECTED
MEDICAL CARE IS AN IRREPARABLE
DANGER TO OUR SOCIETY AT LARGE.
IF THE RESTRAINING ORDER HAD
BEEN LIFTED, IT COULD HAVE
CREATED A PATCHWORK OF CONFUSION
IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN, WITH
SOME PROSECUTORS PROMISING TO
ENFORCE THE LAW, WHILE OTHERS
HAVE SAID THEY WOULD REFUSE TO
DO SO ARE GRANT HERMES WAS IN
COURT TODAY HAS BEEN GATHERING
REACTION OVER THE PAST FEW
HOURS, GRANT. KAREN A LOT OF
EMOTIONS TODAY JUST AFTER THAT
RULING, BUT FIRST, LET’S GET YOU
TO WHAT THIS ALL MEANS HERE
FIRST. IT MEANS THAT PROSECUTORS
WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO GO AFTER
ABORTION PROVIDERS ACROSS THE
STATE MEETING. ABORTION STAYS
LEGAL IN EVERY COUNTY, THE JUDGE
TODAY SAYING THE STATE AND
GOVERNOR WHITMAN’S TEAM ALONG
WITH THE PROSECUTORS, WHO JOINED
HER FOR COMPLICATED STANDARDS TO
GET THIS INJUNCTION IN PLACE,
INCLUDING THE JUDGE, FINDING THE
HARM POTENTIALLY DONE TO IN HIS
WORDS, EVERYONE IN THE STATE
THIS DOES FALL IN LINE WITH THE
COURT OF APPEALS RULING THAT
BARRED THE STATE ATTORNEY
GENERAL’S OFFICE FROM
PROSECUTING ABORTION PROVIDERS.
WHAT THIS DOES NOT DO IS STRIKE
DOWN THE STATE’S 1931 LAW THAT
CRIMINALIZES ABORTION THAT STAYS
ON THE BOOKS UNTIL THERE’S AN
OFFICIAL RULING FROM THE STATE
SUPREME COURT OR IF THE BALLOT
INITIATIVE GETS ON THE BALLOT TO
ENSHRINE THE RIGHT TO ABORTION
INTO MICHIGAN’S CONSTITUTION.
TAKE A LISTEN TO WHAT BOTH SIDES
HAD TO SAY TODAY, THOUGH, AFTER
THE RULING AND YOU CARRY A LOT
OF WEIGHT WHEN YOU WHEN YOU TALK
ABOUT THINGS LIKE THIS, BECAUSE
YOU KNOW HOW SIGNIFICANT CAN IT
IS FOR SO MANY WOMEN, SO MANY
PEOPLE IN THE STATE AND SO WE
ARE RELIEVED AND GRATEFUL. THIS
HEARING SHOULD NEVER HAVE
HAPPENED. THIS IS JUDICIAL
MALFEASANCE BECAUSE THE GOVERNOR
DOES NOT HAVE THE LEGAL RIGHT TO
BRING A LAWSUIT TO CHALLENGE A
DULY ENACTED LAW. NOW. THIS
RULING CAN BE APPEALED THE
LAWYER FOR THOSE DEFENDANTS ON
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STATE,
SAYING THEY PLAN TO APPEAL
KAREN, THEY HAVE 21 DAYS TO GET
THAT IN BACK TO YOU GRANT. THIS
RULING WILL ALSO HAVE A NATIONAL
EFFECT AS WELL. WHAT DO WE KNOW
ABOUT THE IMPACT THIS WILL HAVE
ON THE FIGHT OVER ABORTION
ACROSS THE COUNTRY. WELL FOR
STARTERS, THIS WAS THE FIRST
CASE TO HAVE LIVE WITNESSES IN
AN OPEN COURT, IT WAS CLOSELY
WATCHED TO SEE WHAT WOULD OR
WOULDN’T WORK IN FRONT OF A
JUDGE WHEN IT CAME TO TAKING ON
HIS STATE’S ABORTION BAN. IT IS
ALSO GOING TO KEEP MICHIGAN ONE
OF THOSE SO CALLED SAFE HAVEN
STATES FOR THOSE SEEKING
ABORTION OR REPRODUCTIVE CARE.
THERE WAS A LOT OF WORRY FROM
ABORTION PROVIDERS THAT THIS
WOULD CREATE THAT PATCHWORK AS
YOU SAID, AT THE VERY TOP OF
THIS STORY HERE OR PUT IN PLACE
A BAN IN ITSELF. THAT WOULD MEAN
THAT THERE’D BE A BAND IN THE
UPPER MIDWEST FROM PENNSYLVANIA
TO ILLINOIS, MICHIGAN, STILL
LEGAL HERE IN TO GET AN ABORTION
IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN AFTER
THIS RULING, AT LEAST FOR THE
TIME BEING BACK TO YOU, ALRIGHT,
WE APPRECIATE IT GRANT AND AS
GRANT DID MENTION GOVERNOR
WHITMER HAS ALREADY APPEALED
DIRECTLY TO THE STATE SUPREME
COURT TO HAVE THE 1931 LAW
DECLARED UNCONSTITUTIONAL. THAT
CASE IS PENDING. THE BALLOT
INITIATIVE HE MENTIONED IS ALSO
PENDING SIGNATURES HAVE BEEN
TURNED IN. THE BOARD OF
CANVASSERS IS EXPECTED TO MEET
AUGUST 31ST TO DISCUSS WHETHER
THAT PROPOSAL MAKES IT ONTO THE