Megathread: Federal Judge Blocks Many Aspects of Georgia’s “Heartbeat” Abortion Law

A federal judge on Tuesday blocked many aspects of Georgia’s landmark abortion law, which bans abortion as early as six weeks into a pregnancy. <br><br>In a 67-page order, U.S. District Judge Steve Jones ruled that the ban on abortion after a heartbeat is detected conflicts with U.S. Supreme Court precedent, which allows for abortions until a fetus is viable. However, he declined to block new requirements that abortion providers check for a heartbeat before performing an abortion and notify a woman that a heartbeat was detected.<br><br>The law adopted by Georgia lawmakers earlier this year prohibits providers from performing abortions once a heartbeat is detected, usually as early as six weeks into a pregnancy. That’s before many states have allowed previously, and before many women even realize they’re pregnant.<br><br>The law makes exceptions in cases of rape and incest if a police report is filed, but not in cases of dangerous pregnancies.<br><br>The law was written to circumvent judicial review by taking effect only after the courts allowed it to. It was scheduled to become enforceable Jan. 1.<br><br>But Jones said the U.S. Supreme Court has “repeatedly and unequivocally” ruled that the Constitution protects a woman’s right to abort a fetus once it’s determined that it has become viable.<br><br>Jones wrote that “the provisions … which ban abortion after a detectable human heartbeat, are unconstitutional. The court hereby PERMANENTLY ENJOINS Defendants from enforcing these provisions in future.”