The VLW Blog

The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals split 6-5 today in upholding the constitutionality of Virginia’s partial-birth abortion law.
The votes in the case will underscore the arguments of those who stress the importance of the President in shaping the country’s judiciary.
All six members of the majority were appointed by Republicans, and all the minority judges [...]

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Four weeks and counting.
That’s how long it has been since the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has delivered an opinion that it deemed worthy of publication. Granted, the Richmond-based federal appellate court is known for being stingier with published opinions than any other circuit court, but this is the longest stretch without a published [...]

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The full 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will review the constitutionality of Virginia’s law barring partial-birth abortions.
The case has along history that began with the adoption of the law by the General Assembly in 2003. A physician and a Richmond abortion clinic filed suit challenging the law, and 4th Circuit Judges M. Blane Michael [...]

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Virginia Attorney General Bob McDonnell says that he will appeal the 2-to-1 ruling by a 4th U.S. Court of Appeals panel that Virginia’s ban on so-called “partial-birth” abortions is unconstitutional. According to the report from the Daily Press (via AP), McDonnell will ask for review by the full appeals court on Monday.

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Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court, by a 5-4 vote, upheld the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act passed by Congress in 2003.
The ruling already is causing a ripple in Virginia. The high court has ordered the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to revisit a ruling from 2005 in which a three-judge panel found a [...]

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