Smith County district judge responds to lawsuit over fetal heartbeat bill

TYLER, Texas (KLTV) - District Judge Austin Reeve Jackson held a press conference Wednesday in response to a lawsuit in which he is named by Whole Woman’s Health as a challenge to Senate Bill 8, also known as the fetal heartbeat bill.

As the first named defendant on the lawsuit, Jackson claims he is a “clear target” because of his conservative beliefs. “I will not be scared by the vicious attacks and implicit threats of radical organizations. I will not allow the voice and the vote of any Texan be silenced by the left, but I will stand for what is right,” Jackson said. “Regardless of what some organization like Planned Parenthood threatens me with, no matter what some leftist judge down in Austin may do to me, as for me in my house, we will continue to serve the Lord.”

“I am 100 percent committed to seeing this frivolous lawsuit dismissed, the attempts to run Christians out of elected office defeated, and the voice and the vote of pro-life Texans defended,” Jackson stated in a press release.

“Reeve was targeted because of his character,” said Jackson’s attorney Shane McGuire. “He’ll prevail because of the law.”

Sen. Bryan Hughes, who authored SB 8, joined Jackson in the press conference. Hughes said, “The law is driven by private individuals who want to stand up for the right to life. Any Texan who is aware of an illegal abortion can bring an action against the doctor committing illegal abortions.”

Hughes added, “Any Texan has the right to bring that suit, to right that wrong, to protect an innocent human’s life.”

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