Federal appeals court, citing Roe v. Wade reversal, lets Georgia's "heartbeat" abortion law take effect
CBSN
Atlanta — A federal appeals court overturned a lower court ruling and allowed Georgia's restrictive 2019 abortion law to take effect immediately Wednesday. The decision was expected after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled last month that there is no constitutional right to an abortion.
The law, which had been barred from taking effect, bans most abortions once a "detectable human heartbeat" is present. Cardiac activity can be detected by ultrasound in cells within an embryo that will eventually become the heart as early as six weeks into a pregnancy, before many pregnancies are detected.
The Georgia law includes exceptions for rape and incest, as long as a police report is filed. It also allows for later abortions when the mother's life is at risk or a serious medical condition renders a fetus unviable.
