Bristol Regional Women's Center, P.C. v. Slatery

CourtDistrict Court, M.D. Tennessee
DecidedApril 17, 2020
Docket3:15-cv-00705
StatusUnknown

This text of Bristol Regional Women's Center, P.C. v. Slatery (Bristol Regional Women's Center, P.C. v. Slatery) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, M.D. Tennessee primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bristol Regional Women's Center, P.C. v. Slatery, (M.D. Tenn. 2020).

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT MIDDLE DISTRICT OF TENNESSEE NASHVILLE DIVISION

ADAMS & BOYLE, P.C., et al.,

Plaintiffs, Civil Action No. 3:15-cv-00705

vs. HON. BERNARD A. FRIEDMAN

HERBERT H. SLATERY, III, et al.,

Defendants. _____________________________/ OPINION AND ORDER GRANTING PLAINTIFFS’ MOTION FOR A PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION

This matter is presently before the Court on the motion to file a supplemental complaint [docket entry 229] and the motion for a temporary restraining order (“TRO”) and/or preliminary injunction [docket entry 231] filed by plaintiffs and proposed plaintiffs (collectively “plaintiffs”). Defendants and proposed defendants (collectively “defendants”) have responded to both motions, and plaintiffs have replied. On April 17, 2020, at 11:00 a.m., the Court held a ninety- minute telephonic hearing with counsel for both sides, and oral argument was heard. For the reasons stated below, the Court shall grant plaintiffs’ motion to file a supplemental complaint, and it shall grant plaintiffs’ motion for a TRO and/or preliminary injunction to the extent plaintiffs seek a preliminary injunction enjoining the enforcement of Tennessee Executive Order 25 (“EO- 25”) as applied to procedural abortions.1

1 Procedural abortions are one type of abortion. Plaintiffs explain that

[t]here are two methods of abortion care available in Tennessee: medication abortion or in-office procedural abortion (also referred to as “surgical abortion”). Tr. Vol. 2, 57:18-22 (Young); Looney Decl. ¶ 11. For a medication abortion, the patient takes mifepristone in the clinic and then, 24 to 48 hours later, takes misoprostol at a location of her choosing, Background Plaintiffs are providers of reproductive healthcare, including abortion services, in Tennessee. Plaintiffs challenge Tennessee Senate Bill 1222, Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-15-202(a)-(h), requiring women seeking an abortion to receive certain information beforehand in person from the

attending physician performing the abortion, or a referring physician, and to then wait at least forty-eight hours after receiving the information before undergoing the procedure. Plaintiffs allege that the statute’s “forty-eight-hour delay requirement” unduly burdens their patients’ right to obtain an abortion. Plaintiffs, suing on their own behalf and also on behalf of their patients, assert due process and equal protection claims under the Fourteenth Amendment. In September 2019, the Court conducted a week-long bench trial in this matter.

typically at home. Looney Decl. ¶ 11. The pregnancy is then passed in a process similar to miscarriage. Id.; Tr. Vol. 1, 39:15-11 (Wallett). The use of mifepristone in combination with misoprostol is safe and effective to terminate pregnancies up to 11 weeks LMP [last menstrual period] (or 77 days). Looney Decl. ¶ 12.

Although procedural abortion is sometimes referred to as “surgical abortion,” it is not what is commonly understood to be surgery, as a procedural abortion involves no incision or general anesthesia. Looney Decl. ¶ 14. In the majority of cases, a procedural abortion is performed using the “aspiration” technique, which involves the use of gentle suction to empty the uterus, typically takes about 5-10 minutes, and may at times involve local anesthesia or conscious sedation. Id.; Tr. Vol. 1, 40:12-20 (Wallett); Tr. Vol. 2, 58:9-59:1 (Young). Starting at 14-16 weeks, physicians typically use the dilation and evacuation (“D&E”) technique, which requires additional skills and equipment to perform, and takes longer, including longer time spent by the patient in the recovery room. Looney Decl. ¶ 14; Tr. Vol. 1, 40:21-8 (Wallett). Starting around 18 weeks LMP, procedural abortion may be performed as a two-day procedure because a patient receives medications to dilate her cervix the day before the procedure itself. Looney Decl. ¶ 14. For some patients, procedural abortion is safer or medically indicated over medication abortion, such as for patients at increased risk of bleeding. Id. ¶ 13.

Pls.’ Br. in Support of Mot. for TRO and/or Prelim. Inj. at 7-8. On March 23, 2020, Governor William Lee issued Tennessee Executive Order 18, entitled “An Order to Reduce the Spread of COVID-19 by Limiting Non-Emergency Healthcare Procedures.” This order provides in part: 2. All hospitals and surgical outpatient facilities in the State of Tennessee shall not perform non-essential procedures, which includes any medical procedure that is not necessary to address a medical emergency or to preserve the health and safety of a patient, as determined by a licensed medical provider. . . . Medical procedures excluded from postponement include . . . pregnancy-related visits and procedures, including labor and delivery . . . .

* * *

5. This Order shall be effective and enforceable at 12:01 a.m., Central Daylight Time, on March 24, 2020, and shall remain in effect until 12:01 a.m., Central Daylight Time, on April 13, 2020, at which time the suspension of any state laws and rules and the other provisions of this Order shall cease and be of no further force or effect.

On April 8, 2020, Governor Lee issued Tennessee Executive Order 25, entitled “An Order to Reduce the Spread of COVID-19 by Limiting Non-Emergency Healthcare Procedures.” This order provides in part: 2. All healthcare professionals and healthcare facilities in the State of Tennessee shall postpone surgical and invasive procedures that are elective and non-urgent. Elective and non-urgent procedures are those procedures that can be delayed until the expiration of this Order because they are not required to provide life sustaining treatment, to prevent death or risk of substantial impairment of a major bodily function, or to prevent rapid deterioration or serious adverse consequences to a patient’s physical condition if the surgical or invasive procedure is not performed, as reasonably determined by a licensed medical provider.

3. In order to conserve personal protective equipment [(“PPE”)], healthcare providers and facilities in Tennessee must limit attendance to essential personnel in the rooms where surgeries and invasive procedures are being performed.

4. Non-hospital healthcare providers impacted by this Order are requested and encouraged to provide necessary personal protective equipment in their possession and not required for the emergency care exempted in the Order, including, but not limited to, medical gowns, N95 masks, surgical masks, TYVEK suits, boot covers, gloves, and/or eye protection to the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency by delivering such equipment to the nearest open Tennessee National Guard Armory listed on the TEMA website (www.tn.gov/tema) between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.

6. This Order shall take effect at 12:01 a.m., Central Daylight Time, on April 9, 2020, and shall remain in effect until 12:01 a.m., Central Daylight Time, on April 30, 2020, at which time the suspension of any state laws and rules and the other provisions of this Order shall cease and be of no further force or effect.

7. Upon becoming effective, this Order amends and supersedes the provisions of Executive Order No. 18, dated March 23, 2020.

An April 10, 2020, letter signed by defendant State of Tennessee Department of Health Commissioner Lisa Piercey that is addressed to “Health Care Providers” states that [t]he intent of Executive Order 25 is to protect the health care providers, staff, patients, and the community from the transmission of COVID-19 and prevent the unnecessary use of the PPE resources that are in extremely short supply, especially N95 masks. Specifically, the Executive Order addresses the following:

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Bluebook (online)
Bristol Regional Women's Center, P.C. v. Slatery, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bristol-regional-womens-center-pc-v-slatery-tnmd-2020.