Falls Church Abortion Clinic Lawsuit Can Go Forward, Judge Says

The Falls Church Healthcare Center may proceed with a lawsuit challenging new, stricter abortion laws in Virginia that require clinics to make changes to their facilities, to be more like hospitals, a judge said Wednesday.

Virginia's Board of Health, backed by Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, who is running for governor, had asked the court to throw out the case. But Arlington Judge Benjamin N.A. Kendrick, said appellate courts should decide the matter in a full hearing.

“We’re thrilled,” Larry Roberts, one of the clinic’s attorneys, told the Associated Press. “Our main goal was to make sure that the full case will be heard.”

More than 50 supporters of the clinic, clad in purple, attended a rally before the hearing outside the courthouse, waving signs that said "Stop the War on Women" and "Let doctors doctor," the AP reported.