Supreme Court Decisions on Abortion-Cornell Law School
Roe V. Wade, www
Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pa. v. Casey, www
Whalen V. Roe, www
Maher V. Roe, www
Akron v. Akron Planned Parenthood, www
Webster V. Planned Parenthood, www
Planned Parenthood of Central Missouri v. Danforth, www
Steinberg V. Carhart, www
Lawrence/Garner V. Texas (same sex-sex), www
Doe V. Bolton, www
Cornell Law School Supreme Court search page (origin of the above references), www
Explanations below of some of the above laws from Roe v. Wade Report-California Right To Life, (www)
Jane Roe v. Dallas District Attorney Henry Wade, Jan. 22, 1973:
Declared that the 14th Amendment guarantees a woman's "right to privacy"; held that the fetus is not a person and the decision to abort should be left up to a woman and her doctor.
Mary Doe v. Georgia Attorney General Arthur K. Bolton, Jan. 22, 1973:
Restricted the scope of permissible state regulation and overturned a law requiring abortions to be performed only in hospitals. Abortion could be performed "in light of all factors-physical, emotional, psychological, familial, and the woman's age-relevant to the well being of the patient [mother]. All these factors may relate to health."
Planned Parenthood v. Missouri Attorney General John C. Danforth, July 1, 1976:
Declared it unconstitutional to require doctors to exercise care to preserve fetal life; overturned a ban on saline abortions and a law which required a husband's consent to abortion.
Connecticut Social Services Commissioner Edward W. Maher v. Susan Roe, June 20, 1977:
Declared that Medicaid should not pay for nontherapeutic elective abortions because the state has a legitimate interest in protecting life.
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Patricia R. Harris v. Cora McRae, June 30, 1980:
Stated that states are not obliged to fund "medically necessary" abortions for which federal funds are blocked by the Hyde amendment-also upheld as constitutional.
Missouri Attorney General William L. Webster v. Reproductive Health Services, July 3, 1989:
Upheld Missouri's ban on using state facilities or employees to perform elective nontherapeutic abortions, as well as a requirement for medical tests to determine a fetus' viability.
Planned Parenthood v. Pennsylvania Gov. Robert P. Casey, June 29, 1992:
The Court accepted a 24-hour waiting period, informed consent guidelines and parental consent in some cases. "It essentially … adopted a new 'liberty' standard. The above restrictions would not apply if they 'unduly burdened' her right to abortion."