CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin joined Don Lemon Tonight on Friday to discuss the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals issuing a procedural ruling reinstating Texas' pro-life law, at least temporarily. While Toobin managed to keep his pants on this time, he did call the decision a "complete outrage."
Lemon asked Toobin about the state's "wildly restrictive abortion law" considering "A federal judge had stopped the law from being enforced. The state of Texas then appealed and tonight, the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted the state's request. So, now what?"
Toobin, who views abortion as a convenient way to avoid paying child support, decried the court and Texas's assault on the alleged constitutional right.
"Well, I mean, you know, again, Don, it's worth pausing to consider that the women of Texas are being denied constitutional rights that have been guaranteed to them for 50 years since Roe v. Wade and what the circuit court has done is reinstated this clearly unconstitutional ban," he said. "You know, the women of Texas had their constitutional rights for about three days since this law has gone into-- went into effect on September 1."
He then got around to actually answering the initial question, saying that a three-judge panel of two Republican appointees and one Democratic appointee will hear the case "but let's be clear: this law is contrary to Supreme Court precedent and it is a complete outrage that the Fifth Circuit has reinstated it, perhaps only temporarily, but that's now the state of play."
Adding: "Abortion is now effectively illegal in Texas again and it will remain that way until the Fifth Circuit acts otherwise."
It is also a complete outrage that men like Toobin portray themselves as defenders of the rights of women, but who are really just selfishly trying to avoid the consequences of their actions.
This segment was sponsored by Carvana.
Here is a transcript of the October 8 show:
CNN
Don Lemon Tonight
11:09 PM ET
DON LEMON: Jeffrey, I want to talk to you about this, this wildly restrictive abortion law in Texas. A federal judge had stopped the law from being enforced. The state of Texas then appealed and tonight, the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted the state's request so now what?
JEFFREY TOOBIN: Well, I mean, you know, again, Don, it's worth pausing to consider that the women of Texas are being denied constitutional rights that have been guaranteed to them for 50 years since Roe v. Wade and what the circuit court has done is reinstated this clearly unconstitutional ban. You know, the women of Texas had their constitutional rights for about three days since this law has gone into-- went into effect on September 1. What happens now is the Fifth Circuit, this three-judge panel, the most conservative circuit court in the country and it looks like this panel, which is two Republican appointees, one Democratic appointees, will hear briefing and argument and they will decide whether this law, you know, goes -- remains in effect, but let's be clear: this law is contrary to Supreme Court precedent and it is a complete outrage that the Fifth Circuit has reinstated it, perhaps only temporarily, but that's now the state of play. Abortion is now effectively illegal in Texas again and it will remain that way until the Fifth Circuit acts otherwise.
