© CBS 5PHOENIX (AP) -
County attorneys in Arizona's two most populous counties are at odds over whether a federal judge should block enforcement of a new Arizona ban on abortions starting at 20 weeks of pregnancy.
Defendants in a lawsuit filed by abortion-rights groups include Maricopa County Bill Montgomery and Pima County Attorney Barbara LaWall.
Montgomery, a Republican, opposes blocking enforcement of the 20-week ban. He says the 20-week ban serves to protect the health of women and to prevent abortions when fetuses can feel pain.
LaWall, a Democrat, said enforcement should be delayed until the law's constitutionality is determined. She said there is considerable risk that the 20-week ban would violate a Supreme Court ruling disallowing abortion bans starting before a fetus can survive outside the womb.
A hearing is scheduled next Wednesday.
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