Ken Paxton issues threat after judge ruled this week that Cox, a pregnant woman with a lethal fetal diagnosis, can get an abortion

The Texas attorney general, Ken Paxton, has threatened to prosecute any doctor who provides an abortion to Kate Cox, a woman with a non-viable pregnancy, advising hospitals to ignore a court order issued on Thursday allowing her to get the procedure.

The rightwing Paxton issued the warning to three Houston-area hospitals after a Texas judge ruled this week that Cox, a pregnant woman with a lethal fetal diagnosis, may obtain an abortion under the narrow medical exceptions offered by the state bans.

In a brazen dismissal of the court’s decision, Paxton wrote that the judge’s order “will not insulate hospitals, doctors or anyone else from civil and criminal liability”.

Paxton also wrote that the hospital where Cox obtains an abortion “may be liable for negligent credentialing the physician” who performs the procedure.

  • magnetosphere@kbin.social
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    7 months ago

    An attorney general is “advising hospitals to ignore a court order”.

    Read that sentence again.

    He is supposed to be an officer of the court. It is his job to uphold the law, regardless of how he feels about it personally. The judge ruled explicitly on this particular woman’s specific situation - there is no reasonable room for interpretation here.

    This man is putting his own opinion above the rule of law. He is radically unsuited for his job and deserves to be disbarred.

    • CmdrShepard@lemmy.one
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      7 months ago

      This guy is under an FBI investigation and felony fraud charges. He is ignoring the court because he holds a criminal mindset and has zero respect for the law.

        • eltrain123@lemmy.world
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          7 months ago

          Not likely… he’s been under investigation for years. I was hoping his spat with the republicans that impeached him would accelerate his other legal issues, but they all concluded with a big nothing.

        • resin85@lemmy.ca
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          7 months ago

          He was indicted 8 years ago. How he has managed to avoid a trial shows an astounding level of corruption in Texas. Fuck this guy and all the sycophants that protect and enable him.

          Source

  • iBaz@lemmy.world
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    7 months ago

    For the Republicans, it’s not about protecting babies, it’s about punishing women.

  • pottedmeat7910@lemmy.world
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    7 months ago

    As a physician, I am completely lost as to why any OB-GYN (or other healthcare professional, for that matter) still feels comfortable practicing in the state of Texas.

    They literally criminalized healthcare and turned doctors into potential perps. I’d be terrified that a patient unplanned miscarriage would turn into a murder investigation with me as the primary suspect.

    • Dead_or_Alive@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      I could totally see Texas go after a physician with SWAT and trash their house and kill their dog when bringing them in just to make an example for everyone else.

      Sad but I can’t imagine practicing in Texas and feeling safe.

    • FanciestPants@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      Given the diagnosis and complications that have already occurred, this seems like it goes beyond contempt of court to me. I would consider this to be attempted murder of the mother.

  • legios
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    7 months ago

    WTF is this ramble at the end on about?

    “While the Biden administration continues to make up rules that are unconstitutional, I will keep holding them accountable,” Paxton said in a statement released earlier this year. “I will not allow the Biden administration to threaten doctors and hospitals with this unlawful mandate and put millions of Texans’ access to healthcare on the line.”

      • FabioTheNewOrder@lemmy.world
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        7 months ago

        Ah yes, the Grand Old Projection party.

        The “party” p is lowercase because the name is not referring to a proper political party but rather to a group of people came together to have fun among themselves while making the lives of everyone else a living hell, just like frats do during off-seasons.

  • Echo Dot@feddit.uk
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    7 months ago

    Greatest country on earth ladies and gentlemen, land of the free my arse.

    Look at this idiot, he even looks like a republican.

  • PLAVAT🧿S@sh.itjust.works
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    7 months ago

    You guys remember Death Panels, the anti-Obamacare cry that legislatures want to get between you and your doctor to decide who can get care?

    Every Republican who jumped on that bandwagon needs to eat crow and realize they flipped like a bitch when it suited their anti-abortion argument.

      • PLAVAT🧿S@sh.itjust.works
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        7 months ago

        Well careful now… Mike Johnson was ordained by God, almost a second Moses, and those rights to rule are not from government but the Almighty. And we all know Anger isn’t from God but from the devil.

        /s (if it wasn’t obvious)

        Keep banning books and privatizing schools folks, this is the indoctrination we’ll end up with.

  • Queen HawlSera@lemm.ee
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    7 months ago

    He doesn’t care about a baby that won’t even be born, he just wants her to die for being a woman who had sex with someone who wasn’t him.

    • Pratai@lemmy.ca
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      It’s not about her having sex with someone that wasn’t him- I guarantee he couldn’t care less about that.

      What he does care about is that he needs to control her every move and decision along with his voting base can’t think for themselves and need to be controlled by scum just like this piece of shit.

      They’re all cowards that won’t think for themselves.

  • lazynooblet@lazysoci.al
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    7 months ago

    Reading this as a non-American, it feels surreal. How can such a basic right be stripped from all women, and then have men stand up and defend such a disgusting situation. Do they have no shame? No moral compass?

    • AA5B@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      Don’t forget the contempt for law and order - ignoring a court decision for personal beliefs as an AG

    • lolcatnip@reddthat.com
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      7 months ago

      Do they have no shame? No moral compass?

      They don’t. That’s what it means to be a Republican.

    • urist@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      I don’t like the other person’s response about republican shame/morality. I think it’s important to understand why these people do the things they do. Pretending they’re mustache-twirlingly evil doesn’t do anything but blind you to their rhetoric and remove your options for dealing with them. It’s hyperbole (in most cases) and makes fence-sitters less likely to believe you.

      No moral compass?

      Their moral compass is defined by christian nationalism. There are in-groups that must be supported and protected (republicans, white “upstanding” americans, whatever they presume that is), and out-groups that must be punished/jailed/worse (LGBTQ+, minorities, anyone left of Ron DeSantis).

      They do this because their christian nationalism beliefs inform them that women need to be controlled, and they’re using the medical system to do this. If this was Paxton’s wife, he would have gotten her an “abortion” without noise, but I struggle to even use that word to describe what this woman needs. Her child is already dead. I mourn for her.

      They cannot allow any legal exceptions for the common folk, so this woman must suffer. (Edit: And, this woman is highlighting that their system is unjust, so she is getting punished for it). They believe a woman’s place is only as a child rearer, homemaker, and low-skilled labor. It is deeply cruel, true, but they also think it’s justified. Ordinary Americans are appalled by these beliefs, and they need to be revealed for what they are.

        • urist@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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          7 months ago

          I’m sorry you’ve misinterpreted what I had to say as support for republican rhetoric. There is an internal logic to their actions (which I reject categorically, their logic is wrong and can be argued against). Ignoring why they do things and just saying “they’re evil lol” without explanation gets people to ignore you.

          • PRUSSIA_x86@lemmy.world
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            7 months ago

            Don’t bother with this guy. I tagged them as “🤡” a while back and it instantly made my browsing experience better.

            You’re spot on though. If we’re going to wrestle this beast, we need to understand it. The problem is complex, and the solution will be too.

          • DragonTypeWyvern@literature.cafe
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            7 months ago

            I didn’t misunderstand you.

            I addressed your premise that they think they’re acting morally.

            They don’t, that’s why they don’t mind getting their mistress an abortion, they don’t believe anything they say and have no morals.

            • urist@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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              7 months ago

              I think we’re just having a semantic disagreement then. If you asked a republican why abortion is bad you’ll get an opinion informed by their version of morality.

              IMHO, They’re still fine with getting their mistress an abortion because either:

              1. abortion is bad for society on the whole, but my circumstances are different/I made a mistake and i deserve to be able to do this

              2. Some abortions are justified but the circumstances are so rare it’s better to make it illegal. We’re making an omelette, have to break some eggs (oh also, my abortion is one of these justified rarities)

              They might feel guilty about doing this, but they absolutely believe they’re doing the right thing after it’s all said and done. It’s very human to not be able to live up to your own ideals, even if your ideals aren’t ghoulishly cruel. Honestly I think that particular type of hypocrisy is worse than some scooby doo villain we can unmask.

              They’re not banning abortion for some sort of performance. At least not all of them. They absolutely believe they’re special and moral, so it’s ok if they get one. They’re responsible enough and Jesus will forgive them anyway.

              • DragonTypeWyvern@literature.cafe
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                7 months ago

                Well you won’t be the first person to refuse to understand that fascists only approach morality from the perspective of using it for personal benefit.

                The single greatest lie they will ever tell you, like any other conman, is that they believe what they say.

    • luminaree@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      All for a non-viable fetus. Not that it should matter, she should have the right to choose either way, but it makes this particularly insane.

    • RagingRobot@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      If I was that woman’s husband I would probably be in jail for trying to murder one of these idiots by this point this is infuriating

      • foyrkopp@lemmy.world
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        7 months ago

        Good thing you’re not.

        The only thing you’d achieve would be causing her to have to deal with this BS while her husband is in jail.

    • Zink@programming.dev
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      7 months ago

      You are giving credit to the wrong people by framing it as all women losing a right and men defending that decision.

      Tens of millions of American men vote for candidates who protect women’s rights.

      Tens of millions of American women vote for candidates who seek to strip women’s rights.

  • Sanctus@lemmy.world
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    Some of these republicans have never even heard of angry mobs pulling people who destroy their lives out of their homes and returning the favor. Just fucking with people with impunity.

        • Sanctus@lemmy.world
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          They’re going to push us until we break, and then act like we’re the animals when they’ve caged us. Vote in your local elections. Find these fuckers on the streets and call them out. Make them scared to take a shit at their local organic grocery chain.

          • Szymon@lemmy.ca
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            7 months ago

            Unfortunately the result will be martial law and excuses to consolidate power. Making you mad enough to act out violently is part of the plan to take away pesky things like elections.

            • Sanctus@lemmy.world
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              7 months ago

              Thats happening regardless. Your rights already have an expiration date. Whatever perceived loses you may incur, have already been lost. The only question worth asking is are we goong to kill fascism in the cradle or allow it a place in our society? Its that serious.

              • Szymon@lemmy.ca
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                7 months ago

                I’m not disagreeing with you, but I’m pointing out that this is part of their plan and you need to think of an unexpected, outside the box solution to remove the threat.

                • Sanctus@lemmy.world
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                  7 months ago

                  I dont think this requires extraordinary thinking. I think it requires unity and resolve. The trick isn’t thinking of some as-of-yet untried third angle. The trick is to sew together a house divided and point their anger at the 4,000 or so oligarchs reigning in terror.

      • CeruleanRuin@lemmings.world
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        7 months ago

        Emotionally I’m with you, but I don’t want that to be back on the table where anyone can decide to use it again. Because you know the type of people who would use it first.

    • jonne@infosec.pub
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      7 months ago

      In Texas you’re more likely to see this happen to any doctor who steps up, unfortunately. With the tacit support if the state, of course.

    • Ultraviolet@lemmy.world
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      That’s what protests originally were for. The reason they’re called demonstrations is because you’re demonstrating the number of people that will be armed and angry if the people in power ignore you. Without that implied threat, they’re at most mildly inconvenient. It’s meant to be a final check and balance, if you fuck up badly enough, the people beat you to death and burn your house down.

      It should never have to come to that, but taking it off the table entirely renders the first step a bit pointless.

    • Veneroso@lemmy.world
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      I hope that they keep doubling down. When unlikely voters show up… They tend to vote down ballot.

      Literally the dog that caught the car.

    • kase@lemmy.world
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      Not exactly. There was a nice lady at the bus stop I was having a normal conversation with, and after 10 or 15 minutes she suddenly started talking angrily about how “blacks” are “lazy” and always on the news for doing something.

      I was speechless, so she turned to me and asked, “do you like the blacks?” I slowly nodded my head, it was all I could do, I was so shocked. Then she goes “oh, okay,” and just drops the subject. Now I’m shocked for a second time at how damn polite this woman is about such a hateful belief.

      Later on, the bus comes, and we get on. For context, the driver is a black man, and there are a few other people on the bus, none of them white. She has a very friendly conversation with the driver, and a one point she turns to me, and she tries to tell me he’s one of the good “blacks,” except instead of “blacks” she makes a vague gesture with her hand and adds, “like I was telling you about.”

      All this to say, I was too baffled to call her an idiot. Sorry for going way off topic, I’ve just been stuck on that weird interaction all day. I mean, I’ve met racist people before, but I’ve never been treated so much like one of the “in group” that agrees with them, especially after saying that I don’t. For that matter, I’ve never been politely asked, “Do you like the blacks?” before. Ugh, sorry. Just a weird day.