Can Abortions Be Prosecuted Under Ohio’s Heartbeat Law?

Ohio’s Heartbeat Law, which bans all abortions where a fetal heartbeat can be detected at six weeks, has gone into to effect after the U.S. Supreme Court recently overturned Roe v. Wade. The Heartbeat Law effectively bans all abortions after six weeks, with only two very narrow exceptions: 1) when there is a risk of death to the mother, or 2) where there is a risk of serious bodily injury to the mother. A person who obtains an abortion in violation of the law faces a first degree misdemeanor charge, carrying up to six moths in jail; while a second or subsequent violation is a fourth degree felony, carrying up to eighteen months in state prison. Those who provide abortions in violation of the law face a fifth degree felony, carrying up to  twelves months in state prison, and potentially additional sanctions by the state medical board.