TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Stacey Shrader Joslin on Sep 4, 2025

The state of Tennessee is appealing a federal judge’s order that permanently blocked a state law making it a crime to “recruit” minors for the purpose of obtaining an out-of-state abortion. The provision, included in a 2024 abortion trafficking law, was blocked by Senior U.S. Circuit Judge Julia Gibbons in July. Gibbons argued the provision was a clear violation of First Amendment rights, noting that is only criminalizes one side of speech about abortion. Gibbons, who sits on 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, presided over the case after several other judges recused themselves. The state has appealed the ruling to the 6th Circuit, Tennessee Lookout reports.