Wisconsin Prosecutor Appeals Ruling on Abortion Law

The appeal could lead to a state Supreme Court showdown over a 174-year-old law interpreted as banning abortion.

Republican prosecutor Joel Urmanski plans to appeal a court ruling that permits consensual medical abortions in Wisconsin, potentially leading to a showdown in the state Supreme Court.
The dispute centers around an 1849 Wisconsin law, reactivated by the U.S. Supreme Court's 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade, which conservatives interpret as banning abortion.
Dane County Circuit Judge Diane Schlipper ruled in July that the law prohibits someone from attacking a woman to kill her unborn child but doesn't apply to consensual medical abortions.
Following Schlipper's ruling, Planned Parenthood resumed abortion procedures at their Madison and Milwaukee clinics in September.
The case is expected to reach the state Supreme Court, where liberal justices currently hold a 4-3 majority.