Should Columbus DA prosecute abortion ban cases? Take our survey.
Under Georgia’s LIFE (Living Infants Fairness and Equality) Act, abortions are effectively banned once an embryo’s cardiac activity is detected, typically at six weeks. If the law passes, some Georgia district attorneys say they will not prosecute cases under the ban if it takes effect. District Attorney Stacey Jackson said he will await a decision before considering his stance.
The law includes exceptions for rape and incest if the pregnancy is fewer than 20 weeks along and a police report has been filed. An abortion can also be performed if a physician determines that a medical emergency exists or the pregnancy is “medically futile.”
Georgia’s abortion law also includes personhood language that gives embryos legal status.
Kemp signed the bill into law in 2019. But the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia ruled the law was unconstitutional in 2020, blocking it from taking effect.
The state appealed the ruling in 2021 to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. The court postponed its decision until the Supreme Court’s decision on Dobbs v. Jackson Abortion Clinic over Mississippi’s abortion ban.
The SCOTUS decision has polarized the nation, and we want to hear from you. How do you feel about Georgia’s proposed abortion laws? Take our short survey below.
