COLUMBUS, Ohio (WTVN)--Following the decision from the US Supreme Court to overturn Roe vs. Wade, and return the decision of abortion to the states, Columbus's top prosecutor says he will not prioritize prosecution of those seeking, providing, or assisting an abortion.
City Attorney Zach Klein says his office has limited resources, and wants to focus on prosecuting repeat and violent offenders, instead of interfering with women's healthcare decisions.
When the Supreme Court's decision was handed down on Friday, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost asked a federal judge to lift an injunction placed on the state's "heartbeat bill", which was passed and signed in 2019. It bans abortions after the first fetal heartbeat is detected, which can be in as little as six weeks into a pregnancy.
The injunction was lifted, and the bill went into effect on Friday.
Klein's statement reads, "Using limited criminal justice resources to prosecute personal healthcare decisions runs counter to my obligations to pursue justice and promote public safety. We will continue to use our prosecutorial discretion to put the safety and security of Columbus residents first by allocating our resources to target the most serious crimes facing our community.”