Arizona Supreme Court court gives state AG 90 more days to mull legal moves to block 1864 near-total abortion ban

Phoenix — Arizona's highest court on Monday gave the state's attorney general another 90 days to decide further legal action in the case over a 160-year-old near-total ban on abortion that lawmakers recently voted to repeal.

The Arizona Supreme Court's order leaves in place for now a more recent law that legalizes abortion up to 15 weeks of pregnancy. It also allows Attorney General Kris Mayes more time to decide whether to take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Mayes expressed gratitude for the order and said the earliest the 1864 law can now take effect is Sept. 26, counting the 90 days just granted plus another 45 days stipulated in a separate case.