Attorney General Todd Rokita and team once again beat the hell out of Satanic Temple's efforts to undermine Indiana's commonsense pro-life law

Attorney General Todd Rokita and team once again beat the hell out of Satanic Temple's efforts to undermine Indiana's common sense pro-life law

A bigger whooping than when the devil went down to Georgia

Attorney General Todd Rokita and his legal team today celebrated a major victory for life after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit unanimously affirmed the dismissal of a lawsuit brought by the Satanic Temple challenging Indiana's landmark 2022 pro-life law.

The federal appeals court ruled that the Satanic Temple lacked standing to bring its claims, meaning it failed to show any real injury to itself or its members from Indiana's prohibitions on telehealth abortions and related criminal penalties. This decision upholds the lower court's ruling and reinforces Indiana's strong protections for unborn life.

"This lawsuit was ridiculous from the start, but this unanimous court decision is a critical victory because it continues to uphold our pro-life law that is constitutionally and legally rock-solid," Attorney General Todd Rokita said. "Our state has proudly built a strong culture of life, and no satanic cult-or any extremist group-is going to stop us."

The case stemmed from the Satanic Temple's attempt to operate a telehealth abortion clinic in Indiana, claiming its "Satanic Abortion Ritual" entitled it to exemptions under the U.S. Constitution and Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The Seventh Circuit rejected the lawsuit on jurisdictional grounds, declining to reach the merits.

Following the U.S. Supreme Court's overturn of Roe v. Wade in the 2022 Dobbs case, Indiana was the first state in the nation to enact a sweeping pro-life law.

Attorney General Rokita thanked his team for their work on this case, mentioning in particular the strong efforts of Solicitor General James Barta and former Deputy Solicitor General Jenna Lorence-who, since successfully arguing this appeal, was appointed Alaska's Solicitor General.

"We're proud to have secured another win that keeps Indiana's pro-life law firmly in place," Solicitor General James Barta said. "This unanimous ruling is a major step forward for protecting unborn life, and we're grateful to stand with Hoosier families in defending these essential safeguards."

Attorney General Rokita has consistently defended Indiana's commonsense pro-life laws against multiple challenges, securing victories that protect women and unborn children across the state.

Read the dismissal here.

A headshot of Attorney General Rokita is available for download.

###