American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia Records - Guide to Selected Case Files: Reproductive Freedom

In 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that total state bans on abortion violated a pregnant woman's rights. The case, Roe v. Wade, represented a landmark decision. Since this decision, abortion has become one of the most contentious issues in America's political landscape.

The ACLU of Georgia believes that, as the U.S. Supreme Court outlined in Roe v. Wade, a woman's right to choose whether to continue her pregnancy is fully her decision. It believes the government should not be involved with said decision and must respect a woman's privacy in making such a decision. To that end, the ACLU of Georgia works to ensure that the reproductive freedom of women is a legal reality in Georgia and across America.

Feminist Women’s Health Center v. Burgess, circa 2003-2007

General Description: Abortion

Summary of the Issues Involved: Plaintiffs filed a lawsuit challenging Georgia’s policy of denying Medicaid coverage for medically necessary abortions. State policy provided for medically necessary abortions only where the life of the mother would be endangered or the mother was a victim of sexual assault. Plaintiffs argued that said policy violated the Georgia Constitution on privacy and equal protection grounds. A lower court dismissed the plaintiffs’ claims on procedural grounds, but the Georgia Supreme Court overturned that decision, permitting the plaintiffs to proceed with their case.