SISTERSONG WOMEN OF COLOR v. GOVERNOR OF GEORGIA

No. 20-13024.

40 F.4th 1320 (2022)

SISTERSONG WOMEN OF COLOR REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE COLLECTIVE, Feminist Women's Health Center, Planned Parenthood Southeast, Inc., Atlanta Comprehensive Wellness Clinic, Atlanta Women's Medical Center, et al., Plaintiffs-Appellees, v. GOVERNOR OF the State of GEORGIA, in his official capacity, Christopher Michael Carr, Georgia Attorney General, in his official capacity Kathleen Toomey, Georgia Commissioner for Department of Public Health, in her official capacity, John S. Antalis, M.D., Gretchen Collins, M.D., Debi Dalton, M.D., E. Daniel Deloach, M.D., Charmaine Faucher, PA-C, Shawn M. Hanley, C.F.S.P., Alexander S. Gross, M.D., Thomas Hardin, Jr., M.D., Judy Gardner, C.F.A., Matthew W. Norman, M.D., David W. Retterbush, M.D., Andrew Reisman, M.D., John Jeffrey Marshall, M.D., Barby J. Simmons, D.O., Richard L. Weil, M.D., Members of the Georgia Composite Medical Board, in their official capacities, Lasharn Hughes, M.B.A., Executive Director of Georgia Composite Medical Board, in her official capacity, Stacey Jackson, District Attorney for the Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit, in her official capacity, Flynn Broady, Jr., Acting District Attorney for the Cobb Judicial Circuit, in her official capacity, Patsy Austin-Gatson, District Attorney for the Gwinnett Judicial Circuit, in his official capacity, Shalena Cook Jones, District Attorney for the Eastern Judicial Circuit, in her official capacity, Fani T. Willis, District Attorney for Fulton County, in her official capacity, Defendants-Appellants, Sherry Boston, District Attorney for DeKalb County, in her official capacity, Defendants.

United States Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit.

Filed July 20, 2022.


Attorney(s) appearing for the Case

Julia Kaye , Brigitte Amiri , Rebecca Ann Chan , American Civil Liberties Union Foundation, New York, NY, Nneka Ewulonu , American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Georgia, Inc., Atlanta, GA, for Plaintiffs-Appellees SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective, Atlanta Women's Medical Center, Carafem, Summit Medical Associates, P.C., Carrie Cwiak, Lisa Haddad, Eva Lathrop.

Nneka Ewulonu , American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Georgia, Inc., Atlanta, GA, Julie Rikelman , Jiaman Wang , Center for Reproductive Rights, New York, NY, for Plaintiff-Appellee Feminist Women's Health Center.

Nneka Ewulonu , American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Georgia, Inc., Atlanta, GA, Carrie Y. Flaxman , Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Washington, DC, Susan Lambiase , Planned Parenthood Federation of America, New York, NY, for Plaintiff-Appellee Planned Parenthood Southeast, Inc.

Julia Kaye , Brigitte Amid , Rebecca Ann Chan , American Civil Liberties Union Foundation, New York, NY, Nneka Ewulonu , American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Georgia, Inc., Atlanta, GA, Carrie Y. Flaxman , Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Washington, DC, for Plaintiff-Appellee Atlanta Comprehensive Wellness Clinic.

Nneka Ewulonu , American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Georgia, Inc., Atlanta, GA, Jiaman Wang , Center for Reproductive Rights, New York, NY, for Plaintiff-Appellee Columbus Women's Health Organization, P.C.

Stephen John Petrany , Drew Waldbeser , Attorney General's Office, Atlanta, GA, Steven Christopher Begakis , Jeffrey Matthew Harris , Consovoy McCarthy, PLLC, Arlington, VA, Patrick Strawbridge , Consovoy McCarthy, PLLC, Boston, MA, for Defendants-Appellants Governor of the State of Georgia, Christopher Michael Carr.

Linda A. Klein , Sarah Margaret Carrier , Steven G. Hall , Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC, Atlanta, GA, Defendant-Appellee Fani T. Willis.

Stephen John Petrany , Drew Waldbeser , Attorney General's Office, Atlanta, GA, for Defendant-Appellant Kathleen Toomey.

Stephen John Petrany , Drew Waldbeser , Attorney General's Office, Atlanta, GA, Jeffrey Matthew Harris , Consovoy McCarthy, PLLC, Arlington, VA, for Defendants-Appellants John S. Antalis, Gretchen Collins, Debi Dalton, E. Daniel Deloach, Charmaine Faucher, Alexander S. Gross, Thomas Hardin, Jr., Matthew W. Norman, David W. Retterbush, Andrew Reisman, Barby J. Simmons, Richard L. Weil, Lasharn Hughes.

Stephen John Petrany , Attorney General's Office, Atlanta, GA, for Defendants-Appellants Stacy Jackson, Flynn Broady, Jr., John Jeffrey Marshall, Judy Gardner.

Karl David Cooke, Jr. , Gautreaux Law, LLC, Macon, GA, for Defendant-Appellant Shalena Cook Jones.

Janice Mac Avoy , Jason Scott Kanterman , Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson, LLP, New York, NY, Cameron Blaine Roberts , Caplan Cobb, LLC, Atlanta, GA, for Amicus Curiae The American Academy of Family Physicians.

Linda A. Klein , Sarah Margaret Carrier , Steven G. Hall , Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC, Atlanta, GA, Stephen Derek Bauer , Ian K. Byrnside , Jacqueline Tandy Menk , Erin Morrissey Victoria , Baker & Hostetler, LLP, Atlanta, GA, for Service.

Janice Mac Avoy , Jason Scott Kanterman , Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson, LLP, New York, NY, for Amici Curiae The American Academy of Pediatrics, The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American College of Osteopathic Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American College of Physicians, the American Gynecological and Obstetrical Society, the American Medical Association, the American Psyciatric Association, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, the American Urogynecologic Society, the Medical Association of Georgia, Nurse Practicioners in Women's Health, The Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, the Society of Family Planning, the Society of Gynecologic Oncology, the Society of Gynecologic Surgeons, the Society of Ob/Gyn Hospitalists.

Marshall M. Bandy, Jr. , Marshall M Bandy Jr. , Marshall M Bandy Jr., PC, Ringgold, GA, for Mary Kay Bacallao.

Julia Blackburn Stone , Sarah A. Brewerton-Palmer , Cameron Blaine Roberts , Caplan Cobb, LLC, Atlanta, GA, for Amici Curiae Interfaith Voices for Reproductive Justice, the National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum, SisterLove, Inc., Spark Reproductive Justice Now!, Inc., Laura Gaydos, Dabney P. Evans, Kelli S. Hall, Elizabeth Mosley, Subasri Narasimhan, Rachel Rebouche, Sara K. Redd, Whitney S. Rice, Roger Rochat, Andrea Swartzendruber.

Before William Pryor, Chief Judge, Lagoa, Circuit Judge, and Schlesinger, District Judge.


This appeal concerns whether Georgia can prohibit some abortions and whether its redefinition of "natural person" to include unborn children is unconstitutionally vague on its face. The district court entered a summary judgment for the abortionists challenging the Georgia law and permanently enjoined state officials from...

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