Supreme Court Ruling Triggers Oklahoma Law Criminalizing Abortion

In a 5-4 decision issued just before 10 a.m. on Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court revoked the constitutional right to obtain an abortion and left the issue up to the states.

By lunchtime, Oklahoma Attorney General John O'Connor had certified the high court's reversal of Roe v. Wade, allowing a state law criminalizing abortion care to take effect.

• O'Connor said during a Friday press conference that law enforcement is “activated in respect to any effort to aid, abet or solicit any abortions.”

Here are the anti-abortion laws currently in place, or will take effect soon, in Oklahoma:

• A provision of state statute that makes performing an abortion a felony punishable by 2-5 years in state prison.

• Senate Bill 612: Raises the possible criminal penalty for performing an abortion to 10 years in prison with fines up to $100,000. Takes effect on Aug. 25.

• House Bill 4327: Took effect on May 25. This provision uses a private enforcement mechanism in which citizens may file a lawsuit against anyone suspected of providing an abortion. Abortions in Oklahoma were halted after Gov. Kevin Stitt signed the measure.

Enforcement of the criminal statute will be left up to local prosecutors. More than 80 district attorneys from 22 states have vowed not to seek criminal penalties against abortion providers or individuals seeking abortion care.

“Not all of us agree on a personal or moral level on the issue of abortion,” a joint statement from the prosecutors reads. “But we stand together in our firm belief that prosecutors have a responsibility to refrain from using limited criminal legal system resources to criminalize personal medical decisions.”

Absent from the list are any of Oklahoma's 27 elected district attorneys. Prosecutors contacted by Fox 23 last Friday said they're still reviewing the Supreme Court ruling and state law changes.