Media Coalition Challenges Judge Kacsmaryk’s Attempt to Withhold Public Notice of Controversial Abortion Pill Hearing

A coalition of media organizations is pushing back against a federal judge in Texas for holding a hearing this week in a closely watched case involving the abortion pill without proper public notice. U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk attempted to withhold public notice of the hearing set for Wednesday, which limits the ability of the press and public to attend.

A lawyer for the news outlets told Judge Kacsmaryk that his attempt is unconstitutional and “undermines the important values served by public access to judicial proceedings and court records.” The lawyer, Peter Steffensen, wrote in a letter on behalf of the coalition that “across the ideological spectrum, the public is intensely interested in this case.”

Judge Kacsmaryk has become known for his controversial decisions on a variety of issues. He knocked down Biden administration workplace protections for transgender people, agreed to hear a case in which anti-vaxxers are suing major media organizations for not publishing vaccine-related misinformation and handed down anti-administration decisions on immigration so egregious that the Supreme Court picked apart his shoddy reasoning.

Conservative groups have sought out Judge Kacsmaryk, knowing that a likely favorable ruling from him will be followed by review from the right-wing Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and then the majority. The media organizations are now pushing back against the judge’s decision to hold a hearing without proper public notice. It is unclear how the judge will respond to the coalition’s request.