Judge overturns Michigan's 24-hour waiting period before an abortion

Michigan’s 24-hour waiting period before an abortion has been struck down. A judge says it conflicts with a voter-approved amendment that locked abortion rights in the state constitution in 2022. The waiting period had been in place for years, though it was temporarily blocked earlier in litigation in 2024. Judge Sima Patel says a mandatory 24-hour delay “exacerbates the burdens that patients experience seeking abortion care.” The judge also stopped Michigan’s requirement that only a physician can perform an abortion.