“They are gathering pro bono legal support, so, basically, law firms and legal associations to give free assistance, legal assistance, to folks who are going to need it, including healthcare providers, who in many cases are vulnerable to and explicitly potentially liable for criminalization in some of these states,” Ms. Harris said in a reproductive rights conversation at New Britain-based Central Connecticut State University on Oct. 5.
Medical organizations have spoken out against the increasingly strict abortion laws being implemented across some states. Some states, such as Idaho, have deemed abortions illegal unless a situation is life threatening or rape or incest is proved in a police report. However, the medical organizations say there is no consistent clinical line for “life threatening” situations, which puts physicians in a precarious legal situation.
Ms. Harris said Vanita Gupta, a civil rights litigator, was appointed head of the task force, which will investigate the Justice Department’s role in state abortion legislation and defend citizens’ constitutional rights.
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