The day after Ashcroft issued his Directive, the state of Oregon went to federal court to fight it. Doctors, other health care providers, and people with terminal illnesses joined Oregon's lawsuit against Ashcroft. On April 17, 2002, U.S. District Judge Robert Jones ordered an injunction a judge's order saying that Ashcroft's rule could not be enforced. However, the court did not have the jurisdiction to hear the whole lawsuit. It moved the case to a higher (more powerful) court: the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.