Tuesday, August 6, 2002

A story released today by CNN News reports that a Pennsylvania state court Monday cleared the way for a woman to have an abortion despite strong opposition of the unborn child's father.

Luzerne County Common Pleas Judge Michael Conahan "dissolved" a temporary restraining order granted by another judge last week that prevented Tanya Meyers from getting an abortion.

Abortion opponents hailed the ruling, but abortion rights groups had called the temporary delay a "travesty" and tried to get Pennsylvania appeals courts to reverse it, contending it violated the U.S. Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision.

Meyers' lawyers filed an emergency appeal last Thursday in state Superior Court seeking to lift the injunction. That court instead asked Stachokus' attorney to submit additional legal papers by Tuesday.

But before the courts could rule, Conahan ruled that the father's lawsuit was to be "denied and dismissed".

There was no immediate response from the father on whether he will try to get an appeal heard before the abortion can take place.