SAN FRANCISCO – A San Francisco judge is set to hear arguments over whether to require a Catholic hospital to perform a contraceptive procedure known as tubal ligation.
Attorneys for Rebecca Chamorro, the woman seeking the procedure, and health care provider Dignity Health are scheduled to appear at a hearing before Judge Ernest Goldsmith on Thursday. Chamorro's attorneys say one of Dignity Health's hospitals, Mercy Medical Center in Redding, denied her the procedure on the grounds that it conflicts with its religious directives.
Chamorro wants to get the procedure immediately following her scheduled cesarean section on Jan. 28. Her attorneys say the procedure is safest when performed immediately after birth. She and her husband do not want more children.
Dignity Health says forcing Mercy Medical to perform a tubal ligation would violate its right to freedom of religion.
True Crime
The hottest stories ripped from the headlines, from crime to courts, legal and scandal.
By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can opt-out at any time.
