United States Supreme Court
ORG
State Supreme Court Kansas Supreme Court United States Supreme Court Supreme Court
After 22 weeks, in cases where the fetus would be viable outside the womb, abortions are allowed here only when continuation of the pregnancy will cause a substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function of the pregnant woman. Mr. Kline has said he disagrees with the United States Supreme Court's explication that harm to the pregnant woman's mental health justifies such a procedure. But the State Supreme Court affirmed Friday that the mental health of the pregnant woman remains a consideration necessary to assure the constitutionality of the Kansas criminal abortion statute, a crucial point for the clinics in defending their doctors' decisions to do late-term abortions. The Supreme Court decision was announced as Mr. Kline was testifying in federal court here in a separate suit on the reporting requirements.