Abortions resume in some clinics after motion

AUSTIN » Abortions quickly resumed in at least six Texas clinics on Thursday after a federal judge halted the most restrictive abortion law in the U.S., but other physicians remained hesitant, afraid the court order would not stand for long and thrust them back into legal jeopardy.

It was unclear how many abortions Texas clinics rushed to perform in the 24 hours after U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman suspended the law known as Senate Bill 8, which since early September had banned abortions once cardiac activity is detected, usually around six weeks.

Prior to the blistering 113-page order late Wednesday, other courts had declined to stop the law, which bans abortions before some women even know they are pregnant.

Planned Parenthood, the state’s largest abortion provider, did not say whether it had resumed abortions, stressing the ongoing uncertainty and the possibility of an appeals court quickly reinstating the law.