Texas Appeals Court Reverses 3-Clinic Shutdown of Maria Rojas as Paxton Seeks Supreme Court Review
Updated
Updated · KTRK-TV · Jul 23
Texas Appeals Court Reverses 3-Clinic Shutdown of Maria Rojas as Paxton Seeks Supreme Court Review
3 articles · Updated · KTRK-TV · Jul 23
Summary
A Texas appeals court threw out the temporary injunction that had closed Maria Rojas' clinics in Spring, Cypress and Waller, saying the state failed to show evidence of wrongdoing warranting the shutdown.
Ken Paxton's office said it will appeal to the Texas Supreme Court, while the underlying case against Rojas still returns to trial court despite the injunction being lifted.
Rojas' lawyers said the closures already cost her the clinic leases, her job and her suspended midwifery license, leaving low-income and uninsured patients without care; they say reopening is unlikely.
Rojas still faces accusations of performing illegal abortions and practicing medicine without a license after investigators cited a patient account and claims she charged $800 to $1,300.
The case is being closely watched because Rojas is the first person charged under Texas' 2022 abortion ban, which can carry up to life in prison and a $100,000 fine.
How will this midwife's high-stakes legal battle redefine the line between maternal care and a felony in Texas?
As legal battles shutter clinics, what becomes of healthcare access for Texas's most vulnerable communities?
With the state's initial evidence now in question, on what grounds could a conviction carrying a life sentence stand?
Appeals Court Overturns Clinic Closure for Maria Rojas, First Provider Prosecuted Under Texas Human Life Protection Act
Overview
On July 23, 2026, the Texas 15th Court of Appeals reversed the temporary injunction that had closed midwife Maria Rojas’s three Houston-area clinics. The court found that the state relied on insufficient evidence, including an anonymous email and improperly admitted affidavits, which did not meet the legal standard needed to justify shutting down her clinics. This ruling highlights the importance of proper evidence in legal cases that impact someone’s livelihood. Although this is a procedural win for Rojas, her clinics remain closed and her license is still suspended, as the legal battle continues.