BOISE, Idaho — A federal judge has permanently dismissed the Satanic Temple’s lawsuit challenging Idaho’s abortion laws, ruling that the organization lacked legal standing to bring the case. Chief U.S. District Judge David Nye ended the lawsuit with prejudice, concluding that the group’s claims “lack merit and could not be saved by any amendment,” effectively blocking the Temple from reviving the suit in its current form.
Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador praised the outcome, saying the ruling confirms the constitutionality of the state’s pro-life laws. Idaho’s abortion restrictions include a trigger law activated when Roe v. Wade was overturned and a separate statute allowing relatives of a fetus to sue abortion providers. The Satanic Temple initially filed suit in 2022, alleging the laws violated religious freedom, equal protection, property rights, and protections against involuntary servitude.
The federal district court previously dismissed the case, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals later agreed. However, the appellate panel required Judge Nye to determine whether the claims could be amended. Nye reaffirmed that “no amendment could save” the lawsuit.
In a statement, Temple cofounder Lucien Greaves criticized the ruling as a refusal to engage the group’s legal arguments. He said the Temple intends to refile a case once it has a pregnant plaintiff, which it argues would satisfy standing requirements and force the courts to address the law’s constitutionality.
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