Wyoming Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Against New Abortion Laws, Citing Jurisdiction

A Teton County judge has dismissed a lawsuit challenging two new Wyoming abortion laws, ruling that the case should be heard in Natrona County, where the affected abortion clinic is located, Oil City News reports.

9th District Judge Melissa Owens, who previously struck down Wyoming’s abortion bans last year, ruled from the bench on Friday that the lawsuit belonged in Natrona County, home to Wellspring Health Access, the state’s only clinic offering procedural abortions.

“Any injury that occurred, occurred in Natrona County,” Owens stated.

She emphasized that legal challenges should be filed where the direct impact of the law is felt.

The lawsuit, filed in Jackson, sought to block two new abortion laws that went into effect earlier this year:

• One law requires abortion clinics to be licensed as ambulatory surgical centers.

• The other mandates a transvaginal ultrasound and a 48-hour waiting period before abortion medications can be administered.

Since these regulations took effect on February 28, Wellspring Health Access has stopped providing abortion services, referring 56 patients to out-of-state clinics within the first five days.

The case was originally filed in Natrona County by two doctors, two abortion providers, and an individual woman, challenging the constitutionality of the new laws. However, after waiting 12 days without an emergency ruling, the plaintiffs withdrew their case and refiled in Teton County, hoping for a quicker response.

Attorney Marci Bramlet, representing the plaintiffs, said they were left with “no response” from the Natrona County judge and felt their case was not being addressed urgently.

“Injury is ongoing and could be catastrophic,” Bramlet argued in court.

The Wyoming Attorney General’s Office pushed back, accusing the plaintiffs of “forum shopping”—seeking a more favorable ruling by choosing a different jurisdiction. Senior Assistant Attorney General John Woykovsky also stated that the Natrona County judge, Dan Forgey, had been waiting for proof that court documents had been properly served before ruling.

Though Woykovsky had requested a change of venue back to Natrona County, Judge Owens opted for dismissal, effectively forcing the plaintiffs to refile their case there if they wish to continue their legal challenge.