A Texas woman who was jailed and charged with murder after self-managing an abortion in 2022 can move forward with her lawsuit against the local sheriff and prosecutors over the case that drew national outrage before the charges were quickly dropped, a federal judge ruled Wednesday.

U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton denied a motion by prosecutors and the sheriff to dismiss the lawsuit during a hearing in the border city of McAllen. Lizelle Gonzalez, who spent two nights in jail on the murder charges and is seeking $1 million in damages in the lawsuit, did not attend the hearing.

Texas has one of the nation’s most restrictive abortion bans and outlaws the procedure with limited exceptions. Under Texas law, women seeking an abortion are exempt from criminal charges, however.

Starr County District Attorney Gocha Ramirez and other defendants have argued their positions provide them immunity from civil lawsuits.

Rick Navarro, an attorney for the defense, argued that it was “at worst a negligence case” during the hearing. Ramirez has previously told The Associated Press that he “made a mistake” in bringing charges.

  • werefreeatlast@lemmy.world
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    3 months ago

    Let the big back fire begin!

    By the time this settles Amazon is going to be selling abortion kits and training books with Catholic theme decals…and then Jesus inserts the scapula, now pray a little bit and rotate 360 degrees. And the republicans deserve it. Plus freeway billboards with ads to pornhub. Gay, pornhub. Imagine a guy’s face and his mouth pointing to the left of the sign with all of it pixelated from the mouth to the edge in varying levels of pink and brown.