The Texas and Ohio Supreme Courts on Friday rejected motions by state abortion providers seeking relief from the states’ now-effective anti-abortion laws. Earlier this week, a Texas judge issued a temporary restraining order that prevents a century-old state criminal law from taking effect. However, on Friday, the Texas Supreme Court granted state Attorney General Ken Paxton’s emergency motion to stay the order. In his brief, Paxton argues that although Roe v. Wade “effectively prevented the enforcement of Texas criminal prohibitions for nearly five decades […] federal courts do not have the ability to ‘nullify’ or reverse a statute”. Therefore, because the Texas legislature never struck down the 1925 law, the state Supreme Court agreed that it should go into effect, stipulating, however, that only civil actions can be brought under the law for now. Similarly, the Ohio Supreme Court blocked an emergency motion by state abortion providers to stay the state’s “heartbeat law” until their case can be tried on the merits. The law, passed in 2019, bans abortions once cardiac activity is detected in the fetus, around six weeks. Just hours after Roe was struck down, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost received permission from a federal judge for the law to go into effect. But several abortion clinics have responded with a lawsuit, arguing that the Ohio Constitution offers greater protections than the federal constitution to the extent that a state law limiting abortion to six weeks is unconstitutional. The Texas and Ohio decisions are emblematic of the substantial state litigation likely to occur as the fight for reproductive rights turns to the states in the wake of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. US President Joe Biden has expressed his willingness to amend the Senate filibuster rule to overcome the legislative gridlock on the issue.

On Thursday, the US Supreme Court declined to consider whether jail officials who “unreasonably respond” to “obvious risk” are protected by qualified immunity. Derek Monroe was placed on suicide watch while in a Texas jail by jail administrator Mary Jo Brixey. Monroe attempted suicide. Sheriff Leslie Cogdill reportedly spoke with Monroe and reflected concerns about Monroe’s mental health on his intake form. However, Cogdill and Jesse Laws, the jailer on duty, placed Monroe alone in a cell with a 30-inch rope. According to court documents, “prison policy, prison training, and common sense directed officers not to isolate an inmate known to be suicidal in a cell with an obvious potential ligation.” monroe The petition states that “[c]Requesting emergency assistance was a precaution Laws knew he should have taken. A trial court held that defendants Law, Cogdill and Brixey were not entitled to qualified immunity. However, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals held that the defendants are entitled to qualified immunity. Justice Sotomayor dissented from the court’s denial, calling Laws’ inaction an “inexplicable and unreasonable decision” that showed a “deliberate disregard for Monroe’s life or death.” -medical necessities of death.”

Protests erupted in Nukus, the capital of Uzbekistan’s autonomous republic of Karakalpakstan, on Friday over a proposed constitutional reform. According to a statement from the government of the region: Despite the policy of openness and free expression of will followed by the Republic of Uzbekistan, on July 1, 2022 in Nukus, a criminal group of people organized illegal actions expressed in an attempt to take over the state. administrative bodies of the Republic of Karakalpakstan. The demonstrators were protesting the planned removal of the section of the current constitution that allows Karakalpakstan the right to secede from Uzbekistan by referendum. This has caused outrage among the ethnic Karakalpak, who make up the majority of the population of Karakalpakstan. Karakalpaks from neighboring Kazakhstan held a round table discussion on the proposed change. One speaker, Rustem Matekov, stated that the day of the referendum on the new version of the constitution will be “the day of the funeral of the people of the Republic of Karakalpakstan”. However, the president of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, has challenged this view, saying: We, two peoples, have become one, we are blood relatives. Previously, the regions did not know the streets of Karakalpakstan or Nukus, but now we work as one people, the youth of Karakalpakstan achieve great results. […] I respect the Karakalpak people with all my heart and I can proudly say that I am a son not only of the Uzbeks, but also of the Karakalpak people. Removal is not the only proposal on the table. Other proposals include strengthening civil rights and extending the presidential term from five to seven years, which would allow Mirziyoyev to run again despite having served two consecutive terms.