Supreme Court Decisions on Abortion

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."


Copyright©2013 www.thegiftoflife.info