The USA: Court rules Alabama cannot criminalize helping people obtain abortions elsewhere
A federal judge in Alabama has ruled that the state cannot prosecute individuals or groups who help others travel out of state for abortion care. The decision is a win for abortion rights advocates, who had been afraid of legal consequences for offering financial help or information to patients since Alabama's near-total abortion ban took effect after Roe v. Wade was overturned. The judge said prosecuting these groups would violate their First Amendment rights and the constitutional right to travel. As a result, organizations like the Yellowhammer Fund have resumed helping people access abortions in other states, emphasizing the urgency and need for their support.
Alabama’s Attorney General, Steve Marshall, may appeal the decision, and experts say the case could eventually reach the U.S. Supreme Court, as debates over abortion access and state laws continue to intensify nationwide.
Compiled from: Drew Hawkins, “Judge says Alabama can't charge those who help people get abortions in other states, ” NPR News, April 1, 2025.
In This Section