Appeals Court To Rehear Texas Abortion Case

NEW ORLEANS (AP) – A federal appeals court in New Orleans will next month reconsider a ruling that struck down a Texas law banning a common second-trimester abortion procedure. The Texas law used the non-medical term “dismemberment abortion” to describe the procedure. Abortion rights groups say the procedure is known as dilation and evacuation and is the safest and most common second-trimester abortion procedure. A divided three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals voted 2-1 to strike down the law in October. But the full court on Monday decided to rehear the case. The hearing is set for Jan. 21.