Media Advisory

WHAT: Oral arguments will be heard at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in Richmond Medical Center for Women v. David M. Hicks.

The federal lawsuit, brought by the Center for Reproductive Rights on behalf of Richmond Medical Center for Women, Dr. William Fitzhugh and their patients, challenges the constitutionality of Virginia’s 2003 ban on abortion procedures.

Suzanne Novak, an attorney from the Center for Reproductive Rights, will present the plaintiffs’ arguments.

WHEN: Tuesday, October 26, 2004 at 9:30 a.m. (Eastern Time)

Richmond Medical Center for Women v. David M. Hicks is second on the agenda.

WHERE: U.S. Courthouse, 1000 East Main Street, Richmond, VA, Room 226

For directions, log onto http://www.ca4.uscourts.gov/.

BACKGROUND
In 2003, Virginia passed a ban on abortion, deceptively called "the partial-birth infanticide" act. The ban was struck down by a federal court in February 2004 because it outlaws the most common and safest procedures starting as early as 12 weeks of pregnancy and fails to provide an exception if a woman’s health is at stake. The Virginia law is similar to a Nebraska abortion ban struck down by the Supreme Court in 2000 and the federal abortion ban signed by President George W. Bush last year, then struck down by three federal courts this summer. Four years ago, another similar Virginia statute was also ruled unconstitutional.