Bexar County DA says he won’t prosecute personal health care decisions

High court’s decision expect late June or early July

Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales. (Copyright 2021 by KSAT - All rights reserved.)

SAN ANTONIO – Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales weighed in after the leak of the United States Supreme Court’s draft ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade and assured the public he would continue to fight for women’s reproductive rights.

The DA also attended a protest at the new federal courthouse Tuesday to assure people of his stance that he would not prosecute personal health care decisions, specifically abortions.

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RELATED: Pro-abortion rights protesters gather outside federal courthouse in Bexar County to demand abortion access

Gonzales shared his statement along with a post from April in which he and four other DAs from across Texas pledged not to prosecute personal health care decisions after the enactment of Senate Bill 8. (See the post below.)

SB 8 is a controversial piece of legislation that bans abortions after a fetal heartbeat has been detected, sometimes as early as six weeks before many women know they’re pregnant. The Texas Legislature voted on it in 2021 during a special session called by Gov. Greg Abbott.

Gonzales stated the following on Facebook:

“The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade will not change my commitment as Bexar County DA to continue to fight for a woman’s right to make reproductive decisions about her own body.”

The draft decision leaked by Politico was from February, and abortion is still legal. The Supreme Court’s decision is expected sometime in late June or early July before its term ends.

KSAT will keep you updated on any new developments on air and online.

The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade will not change my commitment as Bexar County DA to continue to fight for a woman’s right to make reproductive decisions about her own body.

Posted by Joe Gonzales District Attorney on Tuesday, May 3, 2022

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About the Authors:

Ivan Herrera has worked as a journalist in San Antonio since 2016. His work for KSAT 12 and KSAT.com includes covering breaking news of the day, as well as producing Q&As and content for the "South Texas Pride" and "KSAT Money" series.

Leigh Waldman is a news reporter at KSAT 12. She joined the station in 2021. Leigh comes to San Antonio from the Midwest after spending time at a station in Omaha, NE. After two winters there, she knew it was time to come home to Texas. When Leigh is not at work, she enjoys eating, playing with her dogs and spending time with family.