AG Hill Announces Win Over Planned Parenthood In 18-Hour Ultrasound Lawsuit

Thursday, August 20, 2020 at 11:45 AM

By Office of Attorney General Curtis Hill, news release

Starting January 1, 2021, ultrasounds will be required at least 18 hours before an abortion.

(Indianapolis, Ind.) - Attorney General Curtis Hill announced today that Planned Parenthood has conceded defeat in a lawsuit that challenged an Indiana law requiring ultrasounds at least 18 hours before women undergo abortions.

The concession was the result of Planned Parenthood’s opening of a new clinic in Fort Wayne that will provide the ultrasounds required by the law. Planned Parenthood has agreed to drop its lawsuit against the ultrasound requirement provided that Indiana refrains from enforcing it until Jan. 1, 2021 — giving Planned Parenthood time to train staff at its Fort Wayne clinic to operate ultrasound equipment. The concession makes clear that if anything threatened women's ability to obtain abortions, it was Planned Parenthood’s own business decisions, not the challenged law — an argument that the State made all along.

After the federal district court and court of appeals upheld a preliminary injunction against Indiana’s law, the U.S. Supreme Court on July 2 vacated the federal appeals court’s decision and sent the case back for further consideration in light of another recent U.S. Supreme Court precedent, June Medical LLC v. Russo.

“I’m pleased that Planned Parenthood saw the likelihood that this very reasonable law ultimately would be upheld,” Attorney General Hill said. “To their credit, they recognized the merits of avoiding further legal wrangling over this matter.”

Indiana’s law is rooted in respect for women’s health and the sanctity of human life, he added.

“For women considering abortions, ultrasounds are an important part of informed-consent counseling,” Attorney General Hill said. “Anyone interested in protecting women’s health, including their mental health, should support giving them as much information as possible to aid their decision-making. Empowering women with knowledge is fully consistent with the U.S. Constitution.”

Attached is a court document relevant to this case.