'Personhood' petition ruled unconstitutional by Okla. Supreme Court
Photographer: KJRH
Copyright 2012 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Posted: 04/30/2012
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- The Oklahoma Supreme Court has ruled that an initiative petition that would grant "personhood" rights to human embryos is unconstitutional.
The state's highest court handed down the decision Monday on a proposed constitutional amendment that would define a fertilized human egg as a person.
The American Civil Liberties Union and the New York-based Center for Reproductive Rights filed a protest with the Supreme Court on behalf of several Oklahoma doctors and residents. The protest says the measure would have far-reaching implications that trump the rights of women.
The Supreme Court's decision says the proposal "is clearly unconstitutional," citing a 1992 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that upheld the right to an abortion. The court says the petition is void and ordered it stricken.
The ruling by the nine-member court was unanimous.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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