An Arizona Supreme Court justice says he won’t participate in an upcoming hearing that will determine whether abortion can remain legal in the state or if a near-total ban should take effect.
Bill Montgomery made multiple public statements about Planned Parenthood – one of the parties in the case — before his appointment to the bench.
He wrote that Planned Parenthood is responsible for “generational genocide” in a 2017 Facebook post and participated in a protest outside the organization's local headquarters.
Planned Parenthood’s attorneys asked Montgomery to recuse himself, arguing that his statements were evidence of prejudice.
Montgomery initially denied the request. But on Thursday he said he changed his mind after “additional information” came to his attention. He didn’t provide further explanation.
Oral arguments in the case are scheduled for Dec. 12.