DOCUMENT 37

ELECTRONICALLY FILED
5/8/2024 10:39 AM
02-CV-2024-900527.00
CIRCUIT COURT OF
MOBILE COUNTY, ALABAMA
SHARLA KNOX, CLERK
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF MOBILE COUNTY, ALABAMA

RAYMOND LEE BRACKETT and §

SARAH BRACKETT, individually §
and as parents and next friends of §
three deceased BRACKETT §
embryos, Embryo A, Embryo B, §
and Embryo C, §
§
Plaintiffs, § Case No.: CV‐2024‐900527
§
v. §
§
THE CENTER FOR REPRODUCTIVE §
MEDICINE, P.C.; MOBILE §
INFIRMARY ASSOCIATION d/b/a §
MOBILE INFIRMARY MEDICAL §
CENTER, et al., §
§
Defendants. §

MOTION TO DECLARE IVF IMMUNITY STATUTES UNCONSTITUTIONAL

Plaintiffs, Raymond Lee Brackett and Sarah Brackett, individually and as

parents and next friends of three deceased Brackett embryos, embryo A, embryo B,

and embryo C, respectfully move the Court to declare S. B. No. 159, Acts 2024‐20,

now codified as Ala. Code §§ 6‐5‐810 and 6‐5‐811 (1975) (collectively the in vitro

fertilization civil and criminal immunity statutes) unconstitutional.

Mr. and Mrs. Brackett contend this Court has the authority – and the duty –
 DOCUMENT 37

to declare the statutes unconstitutional because they are violative of Plaintiffs’

fundamental rights, including the right to life, the right to raise and rear children, the

right to equal protection of Alabama law, the right to trial by jury under Art, I, § 11

of the Alabama Constitution, the right to a remedy under Art. I, § 13 of the Alabama

Constitution, and the right to protect Plaintiffs’ claims from retroactive legislation

under Art. IV, § 95 of the Constitution.

A present justiciable controversy exists because Defendants, Mobile Infirmary

Association d/b/a Mobile Infirmary Medical Center and the Center for Reproductive

Medicine, P.C., on April 23, 2024, jointly moved pursuant to Ala. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(1)

and (6) to dismiss the Bracketts’ “action in its entirety” through reliance in part upon

§§ 6‐5‐810 and 6‐5‐811. See Doc. 18 at p. 1, 8‐10.

As set forth in Plaintiffs’ supporting brief (filed simultaneously herewith), the

hastily conceived in vitro fertilization civil and criminal immunity statutes violate

several provisions of the Alabama Constitution, cannot be sustained or saved under

any theory of law and thus must be declared unconstitutional and null and void and

of no legal effect.

Plaintiffs have today served the Alabama Attorney General with a copy of this

motion and brief as required by Ala. Code § 6‐6‐227 (1975).

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Respectfully submitted,

CUNNINGHAM BOUNDS, LLC

Attorneys for Plaintiffs

/s/ David G. Wirtes, Jr.

J. Brian Duncan, Jr. DUN049
William E. Bonner BON028
David G. Wirtes, Jr. WIR002
Joseph D. Steadman STE084
1601 Dauphin Street
Mobile, Alabama 36604
(251) 471‐6191 Telephone
(251) 479‐1031 Facsimile
jbd@cunninghambounds.com
web@cunninghambounds.com
dgw@cunninghambounds.com
jds@cunninghambounds.com

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I do hereby certify that I have on this 8th day of May, 2024, filed the foregoing
with the Clerk of the Court using the AlaFile system, which will send notification of
such filing to all counsel of record, as follows:

W. Austin Mulherin, III

Michael Upchurch
Mary Margaret Bailey
Frazer Greene LLP
P. O. Box 1686
Mobile, Alabama 36602
wam@frazergreene.com
meu@frazergreene.com
mmb@frazergreene.com

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W. Christian Hines, III

Ann Chapman
Starnes Davis Florie LLP
11 N. Water Street, Suite 20290
Mobile, Alabama 36602
chines@starneslaw.com
achapman@starneslaw.com

Walter W. Bates
Sybil V. Newton
Starnes Davis Florie LLP
100 Brookwood Place, 7th Floor
Birmingham, Alabama 35209
wwb@starneslaw.com
snewton@starneslaw.com

The Honorable Steve Marshall

Attorney General
501 Washington Avenue
Montgomery, Alabama 36104

/s/ David G. Wirtes, Jr.

David G. Wirtes, Jr.