dictionary

Judge dissolves order preventing woman from having abortion

WILKES BARRE, Pennsylvania (CNN) -- A Pennsylvania state court Monday cleared the way for a woman to have an abortion despite the opposition of the unborn child's father.

Luzerne County Common Pleas Judge Michael Conahan "dissolved" a temporary restraining order granted by another judge last week that prevented Tanya Meyers from getting an abortion.

The restraining order had been issued in response to arguments in a lawsuit filed by the father, John Stachokus, who wanted his former girlfriend's pregnancy to go full term.

LEGAL RESOURCES Latest Legal News Law Library FindLaw Consumer Center Select a topic Bankruptcy Discrimination Divorce Estate Planning Landlord-Tenant Personal Injury Taxes

Abortion opponents hailed the ruling, but abortion rights groups had called the temporary delay a "travesty" and tried to get Pennsylvania appeals courts to reverse it, contending it violated the U.S. Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision.

Meyers' lawyers filed an emergency appeal last Thursday in state Superior Court seeking to lift the injunction. That court instead asked Stachokus' attorney to submit additional legal papers by Tuesday.

Meyers' lawyers filed a similar petition with the state Supreme Court, which denied the appeal but reserved the right to revisit the issue later.

But before the courts could rule, Conahan ruled Monday afternoon that the father's lawsuit was to be "denied and dismissed".

There was no immediate word from the father or his lawyer on whether they will try to get an appeal heard before the abortion can take place.