Federal Trial Over Abortion Law Comes To Close

In the final day of a trial over whether Wisconsin can require doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals, U.S. District Judge William Conley asked attorneys for a Milwaukee abortion clinic to provide clear evidence that the clinic’s doctors have been denied such privileges.

The final testimony in the trial on Friday morning came from experts debating whether the law would force women to travel to Chicago or further to get abortions if the Affiliated Medical Services clinic has to close. That could prevent some women getting the abortions they seek.

The witness for the attorney general’s office said there’s no evidence that increased travel time affects abortion rates. A witness for Planned Parenthood, however, presented studies showing that when clinics close, abortion rates go down.

Conley said he’s not convinced yet that the Milwaukee clinic will have to close, and has asked the attorneys challenging the law to put pressure on local hospitals to grant doctors at the clinic the admitting privileges the law requires.

ACLU attorney Renee Paradis says she will provide the judge with evidence next week proving that the hospitals are denying the privileges because clinic doctors can’t show they will actually admit patients to any of the hospitals. She says the same thing has happened in other states with similar laws.

“The doctors who provide abortion full time are unable to comply because of their lack of inpatient activity,” said Paradis. “In Texas and Alabama and Mississippi you already see evidence that even doctors that might have inpatient activity still get denied because of the stigma.”

Supporters of the law say it’s needed to assure adequate care for women who suffer complications following an abortion.

Conley will not rule on the constitutionality of the law for at least another six weeks. In the meantime, the law remains on hold.