A landmark First Amendment case over abortion pill reversal opened for trial June 24 in California Superior Court, as the state seeks nearly $20 million in penalties against Heartbeat International, a pro-life nonprofit that operates what it describes as the world’s largest network of pregnancy help organizations.
The case, People v. Heartbeat International et al., marks the first U.S. lawsuit over abortion pill reversal (APR) to reach trial, according to a June 22 Heartbeat International statement. APR uses progesterone in an effort to counteract the effects of mifepristone, the first drug used in a two-drug chemical abortion.
Jor-El Godsey, president of Heartbeat International, said in the statement that the state is seeking what amounts to a “death penalty” in fines against his charity.
“No mom should be denied the chance to save her own baby's life,” Godsey said. “Heartbeat will always fight for a mother’s right to know and her right to choose life.”
California Attorney General Rob Bonta sued Heartbeat International and another pro-life group in September 2023, alleging that the groups made false or misleading claims about the safety and effectiveness of APR. As Zeale News previously reported, Bonta sought to restrict the organizations’ ability to advertise and share information about APR.
Heartbeat International is arguing in the case that the suit uses California consumer protection law to punish protected speech and restrict women’s access to information after they begin a chemical abortion and later regret it.
The organization says more than 8,000 unborn lives have been saved through the APR protocol, and peer-reviewed studies have reported success rates as high as 68%, according to Thomas More Society, which is representing the pro-life groups in the case.
California has not received any complaints from California women who used APR, according to Heartbeat International. Heartbeat International said the trial is expected to include testimony from mothers who used its network to reverse their abortions and are now raising their children.
“This is the first case of its kind to reach trial, and the implications extend far beyond Heartbeat International,” Danielle White, general counsel for Heartbeat International, said in the statement. “A ruling in California’s favor would hand attorneys general across the country a roadmap to penalize any non-profit organization that provides women with information the state disagrees with.”