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Down syndrome abortion ban is going before a federal court

Posted at 10:26 AM, Mar 11, 2020
and last updated 2020-03-11 10:26:40-04

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A federal court in Cincinnati will hear complex legal arguments for and against Ohio's Down syndrome abortion ban Wednesday.

The case is viewed as pivotal in the national debate over the procedure.

The government will argue before the full U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati that the sidelined 2017 law doesn't actually ban any abortions. They say it impedes doctors, not pregnant women.

A group of mothers whose children have Down syndrome argues the Down Syndrome Non-Discrimination Act actually discriminates against their children, singling out their fetal anomaly over many others in order to politicize the issue.