ACLU files in opposition to Moylan's motion to uphold abortion ban

Pro-choice advocates have filed their formal opposition to Attorney General Doug Moylan's motion to uphold a decades-old abortion ban law.

Moylan is seeking to lift the permanent injunction now that the U.S. Supreme Court has overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade decision that first legalized abortion.

The law was permanently blocked in a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and local Attorney Anita Arriola in 1990 and has remained so for over 30 years.

In a news release, the ACLU said if allowed to take effect, the law would criminalize a patient who has an abortion and physicians who provide abortion care. It would also threaten constitutionally-protected speech about abortion.

They argue that banning abortion would have severe consequences, citing examples such as: forcing a woman to carry a pregnancy to term and give birth against her will; make a costly trip and travel several thousand miles each way to obtain an abortion outside of Guam; or face severe criminal charges because they accessed essential health care in their own community.

The Guam Supreme Court has set a series of deadlines for legal briefs from the opposing sides ahead of a hearing in April.