Roe+vs.+Wade

Jessica Rackow
=**Roe vs. Wade**=

=__**Background**__= On January 22, 1973, Roe v. Wade challenged a Texas law that prohibited abortions except to save the mother's life. Roe went against the law and had an abortion in the state of Texas. SHe never exercised taht right, but there have been over 36 million precious lives sacrificed on this altar of "choice." This case will be forever rmembered as the day when America said that death is the acceptable choice for "unwanted life."

=__**Facts**__= Many people agrued that it was not a big deal weather a women wanted to abort their fetus or not; however, many others said that women shouldn't kill a unborn child for any reason. This was originally argued on December 13, 1971 and was reargued on October 11, 1972. The decision was delivered on January 22, 1973. Sarah Weddington argued her case in court on the basis of what she claimed to be a constitutional "right to privacy." She felt that the ninth amendment was an adequate source for the freedom to rest. She stated that the 14th amendment is an equally appropriate place, under the rights of a persons life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Jay Floyd argued by declaring that Roe V. Wade had become a moot case when Jane Roe had given birth to her child. He quickly informed of the fact that the case was a class action and affected any pregnent females at any gien itme in the state of Texas. Then he went on to attempt a defense of the state's leal convern for the fetus, and explained why the state beieved tehre was life from the moment of conception. =__**People Involeved**__=

**__Defendant's Lawyers__**
John Tolle Jay Floyd Robert Flowers

**__Majority__**
Harry Blackhmun William J. Brennan Chief Justice Warren Burger William O. Doughlas Thurgood Marshal Lewis Powell Potter Stewart

**__Dissent__**
Willaim Rehnquist Byron White

=__**Lower Court Decisions**__= The lower court's decision in this case was that the Ninth Amendment in stating that "the enumeratin in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage otheres retained by the people," protected a person's right to priveacy.

=__**Other Court Decisions**__= Superme Court chouse to base its decision on the 14th Amendment; Roe v. Wase was decided primarily on the Due Process Clause of the this amendment. A criminal statute taht did not take into account the state of pregnacy or ther interests tahn the life of the mother was deemed a viloation of Due Process.

=__**Rsults of the Decision**__= January 22, 1973 was the final decision for this case. All state laws limiting women's access to abortions during the first trimester of pregnacy were invalidated. State laws limitins such access during the second trimest were upheld only when the restrictinos were for the purpose of protecting the health of the mother. Roe v. Wade legalized abortino in the United States, which was not legal at all in many states and was limited by law in others.

=__**Interesting Facts**__= A three-judge panel found that the law violated Roe's rights but refused to issue an injunciton that would have prevented the law from being enforced against all pregnant women.