Houston, Texas (June 28, 2022)— Today a Harris County court issued a ruling that temporarily bans certain prosecutors from enforcing Texas’s abortion bans that predate Roe v Wade. Attorney General Ken Paxton had previously said that prosecutors could pursue criminal charges based off these state laws that were not repealed.
“I’m glad to see that a Harris County court blocked enforcement of pre-Roe anti-abortion laws that have been on the books since the 1920s. It’s shameful that Attorney General Ken Paxton would be encouraging prosecutors to go after medical providers under laws that are clearly no longer enforceable,” said Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee. “It’s reprehensible that our Attorney General would invoke laws dating back to the 1920s – we all know what types of laws were on the books in the south during that time. Our state leadership should not be trying to take Texans back to those times.”
The court issued a temporary restraining order that will be in place until the next hearing on July 12.
About the Harris County Attorney’s Office
Christian D. Menefee serves as the elected, top civil lawyer for Texas’ largest county. The Harris County Attorney’s Office represents the county in all civil matters including lawsuits. Menefee leads an office of 250 attorneys and staff members. He entered office at 32 years old, making him the youngest person and first African American elected as the Harris County Attorney.
