Texas judge rules abortion ban lacks clarity on permitted exceptions

A Texas judge on Friday ruled that the state's abortion ban is too restrictive for women with pregnancy complications and is unclear as to when it provides exceptions.

Texas currently has one of the strictest abortion bans in the country. The decision from District Judge Jessica Mangrum is likely to have uncertain impact on the state in the short term as all of Texas's abortion clinics have shut down, the Associated Press reported.

The state is likely to appeal the decision. Plaintiffs filed the original challenge in March and seek clarification on when the law permits exceptions rather than the outright repeal of the ban.

Texas doctors who perform abortions face prison time and up to $100,000 in fines should they perform an abortion that falls outside the scope of the state's limited exceptions. Critics have contended that the ambiguity surrounding the exceptions has rendered doctors largely unwilling to discuss the procedure with patients.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.