Texas doctor says he performed an abortion in violation of state law

The big picture: The Texas law bans all abortions, including in cases of rape and incest, after the detection of cardiac activity, which is usually around six weeks — before many people know they are pregnant.

• The Texas law does not provide any exceptions for rape or incest, and allows individuals to sue anyone suspected of helping a woman obtain an abortion — and awards at least $10,000 to people who do so successfully.
• The law is difficult to challenge partly because it's unclear who can be sued since it deputizes private citizens to enforce it.

What he's saying: “I acted because I had a duty of care to this patient, as I do for all patients, and because she has a fundamental right to receive this care,” Braid, saying he performed the procedure on Sept. 6 on a woman still in her first trimester.

• “I fully understood that there could be legal consequences — but I wanted to make sure that Texas didn’t get away with its bid to prevent this blatantly unconstitutional law from being tested," he added.

• “I understand that by providing an abortion beyond the new legal limit, I am taking a personal risk, but it’s something I believe in strongly."

Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights — which is representing Braid in his clinics’ pending lawsuit — said in a statement that Braid had "courageously stood up against this blatantly unconstitutional law," per the Times.