Mary Poe v. Russell Coleman, et al.
What's at Stake
A Kentucky woman who was pregnant and seeking an abortion filed a lawsuit in Jefferson County Circuit Court seeking to restore access to abortion in the Commonwealth by challenging two abortion bans under the state constitutional rights to privacy and self-determination. The case details the severe harms that Kentuckians seeking abortion, like Plaintiff Mary Poe suffer because the government denies them access to the care they need. The lawsuit also requests the court certify a class of all pregnant individuals who seek access to abortion in the Commonwealth but cannot obtain that care because of Kentucky鈥檚 abortion bans.
Summary
A prior lawsuit challenging the same bans was brought by abortion providers on behalf of their patients in 2022, in the days after Roe v. Wade was overturned. After a trial court initially blocked the bans, then-Attorney General Daniel Cameron appealed the decision and a court allowed the bans to go into effect shortly after. The case ultimately made its way to the Supreme Court of Kentucky, which issued a ruling in February 2023 saying that abortion providers could not raise the constitutional rights of their patients in cases brought in Kentucky courts.
The new case was brought by a Kentucky woman, referred to as Mary Poe in the filing, who was pregnant and seeking an abortion but could not obtain one because of the Commonwealth鈥檚 abortion bans. Mary Poe was represented by attorneys from the 糖心Vlog, the 糖心Vlogof Kentucky, and Kaplan, Johnson, Abate & Bird, LLP, and she sued on behalf of herself and all others similarly situated. In May 2025, the case was voluntarily dismissed.
Legal Documents
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Complaint, Mary Poe v. Russell Coleman, et al. -
05/30/2025
Poe's Notice of Voluntary Dismissal
Affiliate: Kentucky
Date Filed: 05/30/2025
Affiliate: Kentucky
Press Releases
Kentucky Woman Files Class-Action Lawsuit Against Two Abortion Bans