Woman Who Sought Court-Ordered Abortion Is Leaving Texas for Procedure

A pregnant woman at the center of a legal fight in Texas over whether she could have an abortion under a medical exception to the state’s strict bans has decided to leave the state for the procedure, an abortion rights group representing her said on Monday.

The decision by the woman, Kate Cox, who is more than 20 weeks pregnant, came as the Texas Supreme Court was considering an appeal of a lower court order that would have allowed her to have an abortion in Texas despite the state’s overlapping bans.

Ms. Cox asked the lower court for approval after she learned that her fetus had a fatal condition, and after several trips to the emergency room.

The legal authorization she obtained from the lower court was put on hold when Ken Paxton, the state attorney general, appealed to the Texas Supreme Court. It was not clear what effect her decision to leave the state would now have on the legal case.