Texas judge tries to avoid protests at hearing for abortion pill lawsuit: Reports

A federal judge in Texas who is presiding over a lawsuit seeking to reverse the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of a major abortion medication has taken unusual lengths to keep the first hearing in the case under wraps.

U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk told attorneys in the case Friday that he hoped to delay putting the hearing, which is scheduled for Wednesday, on the public docket until late Tuesday, citing concerns over protests, sources told the Washington Post. Publicizing the date of a court hearing is typically common practice.

A TEXAS JUDGE COULD REMOVE A KEY ABORTION DRUG FROM THE MARKET

Kacsmaryk reportedly told attorneys that he wanted to delay publicizing the hearing due to the security threats he and courthouse members have received over the lawsuit.

The lawsuit filed by anti-abortion groups is seeking to undo the government’s approval of mifepristone, the first of two abortion-inducing drugs used to terminate a pregnancy through 10 weeks. If Kacsmaryk rules in favor of the plaintiffs, it could result in mifepristone being taken off the market, at least temporarily, which would affect states even where abortion remains legal.

Attorneys