The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

Polk County judge places injunction on new abortion law

In a ruling Monday, Judge Joseph Seidlin placed an injunction that makes abortion legal up to 20 weeks again, with the decision coming only three days after Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed the abortion bill into law.
The+Polk+County+courthouse+in+Des+Moines+on+Friday%2C+Oct.+6%2C+2017.+%28Joseph+Cress%2FThe+Daily+Iowan%29
The Daily Iowan; Photos by Josep
The Polk County courthouse in Des Moines on Friday, Oct. 6, 2017. (Joseph Cress/The Daily Iowan)

Polk County District Judge Joseph Seidlin placed an injunction on the new abortion law that was signed last Friday.

In his ruling, Seidlin wrote that the courts should follow the current precedent set by the Iowa Supreme Court with its ruling on the previous abortion law, meaning the courts should maintain the current status quo.

“The court will grant the temporary injunction requested here …Should the injunction entered today ultimately be dissolved, it would only benefit all involved, patients and providers alike, to have rules in place to administer the law,” Seidlin wrote.

With this ruling, abortion is once again legal up to 20 weeks in Iowa and will remain so for the duration of the injunction. 

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, who signed the new law at an event in Des Moines on Friday, released a press statement shortly after the ruling.

“The abortion industry’s attempt to thwart the will of Iowans and the voices of their elected representatives continues today, but I will fight this all the way to the Iowa Supreme Court where we expect a decision that will finally provide justice for the unborn,” she wrote. 

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About the Contributor
Alejandro Rojas
Alejandro Rojas, News Editor
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Alejandro Rojas is The Daily Iowan's news editor. He previously worked as a news reporter covering Johnson County and was the summer executive editor in 2023. He is a senior, double majoring in journalism and political science.