Reproductive Freedom issue image

Lathrop, et al. v. Deal, et al.

Location: Georgia
Last Update: December 24, 2012

What's at Stake

The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Georgia have filed a lawsuit challenging a Georgia law banning pre-viability abortions. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of three Georgia obstetrician-gynecologists whose patients include women in need of this essential medical care.

The law criminalizes virtually all abortions starting at 20 weeks of pregnancy, and contains only a narrow exception for medical emergencies. The ban would force a physician caring for a woman to wait for her condition to deteriorate until she was in a medical emergency before offering her abortion care necessary to protect her health.

Although very few abortions occur after 20 weeks, a woman who has an abortion at this point does so for a variety of reasons, including that continuing the pregnancy poses a threat to her health, that the fetus has been diagnosed with a medical condition or anomaly, or that the pregnancy has failed and miscarriage is inevitable.

Status: Complaint Motion for Preliminary Junction Filed

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