ST. LOUIS, MO - Missouri must allow pregnant inmates to have abortions and transport them to facilities that perform the procedure, a federal judge ruled Tuesday.

The ruling by U.S. District Judge Dean Whipple applies to all female prisoners in Missouri. In October, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the state had to allow a specific inmate, listed as Jane Roe, to have an abortion.

The American Civil Liberties Union then sought a federal ruling making the high court's decision a class-action on behalf of all imprisoned pregnant women in the state.

Tuesday's ruling reaffirmed two principles, ACLU attorney Tom Blumenthal said: "The rights of prisoners to their constitutional rights while they are incarcerated and the rights of pregnant women to have the choice as to whether they will carry (pregnancy) to term or not."

Gov. Matt Blunt urged Attorney General Jay Nixon to appeal the decision.

"This ruling violates our traditional Missouri values and is an affront to everyone that values the sanctity of human life," Blunt said in a statement.
A spokesman for Nixon did not know whether he would appeal.

The litigation was sparked last summer, when the state abandoned a long-standing policy of providing transportation and officers for inmates wanting abortions, except in cases where the inmate's life or health was endangered. The state cited costs and security concerns.