Harris v. West Alabama Women's Center
In brief
The Supreme Court declined to hear Harris v. West Alabama Women's Center, so it did not rule on whether Alabama’s ban is constitutional.
- Where it stands
- Decided
Decided · June 28, 2019
- What it’s about
- This case concerns Alabama’s ban on the abortion procedure opponents call “dismemberment abortion,” a law challenged by abortion providers as unconstitutional.
- Who it affects
- The Supreme Court did not endorse either side’s arguments or decide whether the ban was constitutional for these providers. The central question therefore remained unanswered by this Court.
Summary: written with AI from the case record.
What it's about
The dispute asks whether the state may prohibit that procedure when there is claimed to be reasonable medical disagreement about whether other methods are safe and available.
The case reflects broader disputes over state abortion restrictions and medical disagreement about whether alternative procedures are safe and available.
Question presented
Whether the Eleventh Circuit correctly held that a ban on the “usual abortion method in [the second] trimester,” Gonzales, 550 U.S. at 135, is unconstitutional as applied to Respondents, where all three of the proposed means for complying with the law are not feasible and would subject women to significant health risks?
What the Court decided
Holding
Petition DENIED. Justice Thomas, concurring in the denial of certiorari. (Detached Opinion )
What's next
The Supreme Court’s part of this docket is over. No further Supreme Court action is identified, and this action produced no ruling on the ban’s constitutionality.
Documents
Opinions
Key filings
Docket activity
New analysis added
AI analysis generated: Case Briefing
AI analysis generated: Decision Record
Opinion added: Opinion
Brief added: Petition
More questions
- What was Harris v. West Alabama Women's Center about?
- It challenged Alabama’s ban on an abortion procedure opponents call “dismemberment abortion.” The providers claimed the available alternatives were not feasible and could pose significant health risks.
- Did the Supreme Court decide whether Alabama’s ban is constitutional?
- No. It denied the request for Supreme Court review, declined to hear the case, and did not decide the legal question.
- What remains unresolved after Harris?
- The Supreme Court did not decide whether the ban was unconstitutional for these providers when alternative methods might be unsafe or unavailable.
- What happens next after review was denied?
- The Supreme Court has finished this docket action. No further Supreme Court proceeding is identified in the record.
Sources
Primary materials plus reporting. Best-effort analysis: this explainer relies on a mix of primary materials and trusted secondary sources. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.