The law, signed by Republican Gov. Mike Parsons, had been set to take effect Wednesday, but U.S. Western District of Missouri Senior Judge Howard Sachs, an appointee of President Jimmy Carter, blocked the eight-week ban while the case is under litigation.

The ban provided exceptions for medical emergencies but not for pregnancies that were the result of rape or incest. Doctors found to flout the law would have faced up to 15 years in prison.

In his opinion, Sachs wrote that the eight-week ban violates Supreme Court precedent. The Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade ruling legalized abortion nationwide until fetal viability, which is generally understood to be at roughly 24 weeks into ...