Federal trial starts for Idaho doctor seeking medical exemptions to abortion ban

A federal trial began for Dr. Stacy Seyb, an Idaho maternal fetal medicine specialist challenging the state's abortion ban by seeking medical exemptions for procedures needed to prevent severe health risks. Idaho's current law permits abortions only to save the mother's life, not to protect her health, leading Seyb to refer patients out of state for care he previously provided. The lawsuit targets Ada County Prosecutor Jan Bennetts and the Idaho Board of Medicine, with Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador asserting states have authority over abortion policy post-Roe v. Wade.