[Politico] Dozens of elected prosecutors across the country — including a number representing blue cities nestled inside red states — are pledging to not press charges against patients or providers over abortion in the wake of Friday’s Supreme Court ruling giving states full control over abortion policy.So far, 84 district attorneys and other prosecutors from 29 states and territories and Washington, D.C., have signed the statement distributed by Fair and Just Prosecution. Altogether, the officials represent jurisdictions covering 87 million Americans, according to the organization.
Significantly, the signatories include district attorneys in states like Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee and Texas — all Republican-controlled states with abortion "trigger bans" set to activate within a month, now that the Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade. Other prosecutors have also joined in via public statements online.
"Criminalizing abortion will not end abortion; it will simply end safe abortions, forcing the most vulnerable among us — as well as medical providers — to make impossible decisions," the statement read. Later, it added: "Our legislatures may decide to criminalize personal healthcare decisions, but we remain obligated to prosecute only those cases that serve the interests of justice and the people."
The statement marks a public, preemptive deployment of "prosecutorial discretion" in the battle over abortion policy. Prosecutors and law enforcement agencies have significant leeway over what cases they choose to pursue.
But it’s still unclear what practical effect the prosecutors’ stand will have in each state. Abortion providers are already suspending procedures in a number of states with bans already written into statute, like Planned Parenthood in Arkansas. Similar actions have taken place in Alabama, West Virginia and a slew of other states.
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