Federal Appeals Court Blocks Georgia Heartbeat Law

Georgia State Capitol
Photo Credit: Wally Gobetz / Flickr

After Georgia Governor Brian Kemp signed HB 481 (which bans abortion after an unborn child's heartbeat can be detected) into law during May 2019, U.S. After issuing a temporary injunction against the law, District Judge Steve Jones permanently blocked it in July of 2020. On Tuesday, August 11 lawyers for the State of Georgia announced that they will be appealing the District Court's Ruling.

The Associated Press's coverage of the announcement included a quote from the ACLU:

“The district court blocked Georgia’s abortion ban because it violates over 50 years of Supreme Court precedent and fails to trust women to make their own personal decisions,” Sean Young, legal director for the ACLU of Georgia. “This case has always been about one thing: letting her decide. Abortion care remains legal throughout the State of Georgia.”

Unborn children can produce a detectable heartbeat (explained by pro-abortion activists as "cardiac activity") after only six weeks of gestational development.

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