Judge stays part of NC ultrasound law

US District Judge Catherine Eagles issued an injunction this afternoon against the part of the law that requires a doctor to show a woman the screen as he or she conducts a required ultrasound, to describe to her verbally what the image shows, and to offer her the opportunity to listen to the fetal heartbeat.  

In her injunction, Eagles said the stayed requirement "likely violates the First Amendment." 

A Texas law with nearly identical language was also blocked on constitutional grounds by a federal judge in that state last month. 

The stay does not affect the rest of the law, including the new requirement for a 24-hour waiting period before an abortion.

The ACLU, Planned Parenthood, and the Center for Reproductive Rights filed the lawsuit September 29th, arguing that the new law violates women's and doctors' free speech and privacy rights. 

Melissa Reed with Planned Parenthood Health Systems called the ruling a "big win."

"The bottom line is, this law is a demeaning intrusion on the personal, private relationship between women and their doctors," Reed said in a statement. "The court stood on the side of women and health care providers who are faced with personal, private and very complicated medical decisions every day."

House Majority Leader Skip Stam (R-Wake), one of the new law's key backers, issued a statement pointing out that the other provisions in the new law, including the waiting period, have not been stayed.