Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador announced a major legal victory Monday after a federal court dismissed a lawsuit filed by The Satanic Temple challenging the state’s pro-life laws.
U.S. District Judge David C. Nye ruled that the group’s constitutional claims were legally flawed and could not be remedied through amendment, dismissing the case with prejudice. The ruling comes after years of litigation surrounding Idaho’s abortion statutes.
The Satanic Temple initially sued the state in 2022, claiming that Idaho’s abortion laws violated the Constitution. The group advanced four novel legal theories, arguing that the laws amounted to a “taking” of pregnant women’s wombs, treated pregnant women as “slaves,” and infringed on religious freedom rights. In 2024, Judge Nye dismissed the case, citing lack of legal standing and describing the claims as “absurd” and “outlandish.”
Following an appeal to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which agreed the group lacked standing but requested clarification on whether any amendment could save the claims, Judge Nye reaffirmed that the claims could not be salvaged and formally dismissed the lawsuit with prejudice.
“Idaho’s pro-life laws protect both mothers and unborn children, and this decision confirms those protections are constitutionally sound,” Attorney General Labrador said in a statement. “The Satanic Temple’s attempt to manufacture constitutional violations out of disagreement with Idaho’s values has been rejected at every level. We’ve defended Idaho’s laws through every stage of this litigation, and we will continue protecting the right of Idaho’s elected representatives to defend life.”
The ruling marks the end of a high-profile legal battle and reinforces the state’s authority to enforce its abortion regulations.