PHOENIX — A federal court ruled Tuesday that two pro-life organizations represented by Alliance Defense Fund and Center for Arizona Policy attorneys will be allowed to defend legislation passed in Arizona this year to protect pregnant women and their children. The protections are being challenged by a pro-abortion group that is seeking to tear them down on behalf of a Tucson abortion clinic.

“Everyone deserves full and accurate information before undergoing any medical procedure,” said ADF Senior Legal Counsel Steven H. Aden. “If the Center for Reproductive Rights really cared about women’s rights, they’d support laws that allow women to make fully informed choices instead of challenging these laws in court. These types of protections have been repeatedly upheld and are overwhelmingly supported by the public. ADF and CAP look forward to defending the right of women and girls to be fully informed about the dangers of abortion, to have time to reflect, and to give fully-informed consent before making a decision.”

ADF and CAP attorneys representing the Crisis Pregnancy Centers of Greater Phoenix and the Arizona Catholic Conference will defend what the two groups believe are common-sense protections offered by the law, including a provision requiring abortionists to inform women about risks at least 24 hours prior to the procedure.

The U.S. Supreme Court has repeatedly upheld 24-hour waiting periods. According to a recent Harris poll, 88 percent of adults support laws which require abortion providers to inform mothers of possible risks to their health and of abortion alternatives.

The U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona issued its order granting intervention in the case Tucson Women’s Center v. Arizona Medical Board. On Sept. 29, the court refused to stop Arizona’s new laws from taking effect, but a state judge agreed to stay the laws while a state lawsuit filed by Planned Parenthood Arizona makes its way through court.

ADF is a legal alliance of Christian attorneys and like-minded organizations defending the right of people to freely live out their faith. Launched in 1994, ADF employs a unique combination of strategy, training, funding, and litigation to protect and preserve religious liberty, the sanctity of life, marriage, and the family.