PHOENIX, AZ (January 13, 2014) – Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery issued the following statement in response to today’s announcement by the U.S. Supreme Court regarding Arizona’s law prohibiting abortions after 20-weeks except when necessary to avoid death or a serious health risk to the mother. Montgomery argued on behalf of the law before the District Court and 9^th Circuit.

“Death be not proud. While the announcement of the United States Supreme Court’s denial of certiorari in Horne v. Isaacson permits, at least for the immediate future, abortion for any reason at 20 weeks of development, proponents should not cheer. The increasing body of medical evidence that babies at 20 weeks are capable of feeling every rip and tear as they are severed from a mother’s womb and that women face an exponentially greater risk of death at 20 weeks erases the facade that abortion only deals with ‘tissue’ and is safer than delivery. Regardless of the rationale for denying review, today’s decision by the Supreme Court is disappointing. Nevertheless, safeguarding the health and welfare of mothers and defending the dignity of life at all stages is a just cause and a duty of government. Today’s decision does not relieve government of that duty.”

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