The Supreme Court refused Tuesday to take up a case in Rhode Island concerning whether unborn children have the rights of born individuals.
The case involved two Catholic pro-life organizations and two pregnant mothers suing on behalf of unborn children. The Rhode Island Supreme Court initially dismissed the case in May. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Pro-Life Org Partners With Medical Group On App To Ensure Hospitals Can’t Deny Critical End-Of-Life Care)
The case examined “Whether, in light of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization … the Rhode Island Supreme Court erred in holding that the unborn Petitioners, regardless of gestational age, are not entitled to the protections and guarantees of the due process and equal protection clauses of the United States Constitution?”
The Supreme Court has declined to wade into the so-called fetal personhood debate, deciding not to take up a case out of Rhode Island over whether fetuses should have constitutional rights https://t.co/jBCuIm52S7
— CNN (@CNN) October 11, 2022
After the Supreme Court ruled in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Center that abortion legalization and criminalization would be decided on the state level, several states have banned the procedure. Abortion is currently banned in at least 13 states, The New York Times reported Oct. 7.
In Rhode Island, state law allows the practice, but state funds cannot be used to support most abortions. Governor Daniel McKee signed an executive order in July which keeps abortion doctors in Rhode Island from being sued for performing abortion on women who live out of state.