BOISE — The Fourth Judicial District Court has ruled in favor of Idaho's Defense of Life Act, confirming that existing abortion laws in the state are constitutional. This ruling comes from the case Adkins v. State of Idaho, which affirmed that the Idaho Constitution does not recognize a right to abortion and clarified that physicians are protected from criminal penalties when acting in good faith to preserve a woman's life.
The court's decision maintains that Idaho law does not compel doctors to wait until a woman's death is imminent before performing necessary medical procedures. The law specifies that, when possible, a method should be chosen that offers the unborn child the best chance of survival. Attorney General Raúl Labrador commented on the ruling, stating, “While we still disagree with portions of the ruling, it confirms what my office has argued in courts from Boise to Washington, D.C.—that Idaho’s abortion laws are constitutional and protect both unborn children and their mothers.”
Labrador also emphasized that the Attorney General’s Office is committed to ensuring the state's laws are understood and applied correctly, and will continue to defend these laws in various legal settings. "Idaho law has never required doctors to wait until a woman’s death is certain or imminent before performing an abortion," Labrador added.