10th Circuit Tells District Court To Abate Proceedings In Contraceptive Mandate Case Until SCOTUS Disposes of Hobby Lobby

In Newland v. Sebelius, (10th Cir., Oct. 3, 2013), the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals held that a district court did not abuse its discretion in granting a preliminary injunction against enforcement of the Affordable Care Act contraceptive coverage mandate to a small business and its Catholic owners and officers who object to the mandate on religious liberty grounds. (See prior posting.) The court remanded the case to the district court, but ordered it to abate proceedings until the U.S. Supreme Court completes its consideration of the Hobby Lobby case in which a petition of certiorari has been filed. (See prior posting.)