On January 12, 2021, a class action lawsuit was filed by victims of domestic violence and others claiming New York’s 2019 abortion expansion bill, entitled the Reproductive Health Act (RHA), puts “women in danger.” The RHA reduced standards of care for pregnant women seeking abortion while decriminalizing any harm to a preborn baby resulting from violence to his or her pregnant mother. According to the press release from Feminists Choosing Life of New York, the RHA “violates the fundamental rights of women and children, including viable children in utero.”
Prosecuting attorney Christen Civiletto says, “New York has stripped women and their families of their ability to pursue justice…” Further, plaintiffs claim the RHA “…escalates the risk of violence.” The case is being led by a team of women attorneys serving as special counsel to the Women’s Alliance Against Violence.