Judge Rules Michigan’s 24-Hour Wait Before Abortion Is Illegal

(Kalamazoo, MI) – Michigan Court of Claims Judge Sima Patel has ruled the state’s 24-hour waiting period for women seeking an abortion is illegal as it conflicts with the 2022 voter-approved constitutional amendment guaranteeing abortion rights. Patel says the state “cannot deny, burden, or infringe upon this freedom barring a compelling state interest to protect the health of the individual seeking care.”

Governor Gretchen Whitmer said the ruling “reaffirms that Michigan is a state where you can make your own decisions about your own body with a trusted health care provider, without political interference.”