Roe vs. Wade

By Noelle Kanitz

Facts• Norma L. McCorvey,

under the alias Jane Roe, was a Texas resident in 1970. 

• She wanted to have an abortion, but Texas abortion law made it a felony to abort a fetus unless the mother’s life was in danger.

• Roe filed suit against Wade, the district attorney of Dallas County, Texas to challenge the law outlawing abortion.

Freedom/Rights at Issue

• Ninth Amendment (part of the Bill of Rights) was at issue because: – It states that "the enumeration in the

Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people…“

– It basically protects a person's right to privacy, and Roe felt that the anti-abortion law infringed on her privacy.

Supreme Court Decision

• The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Roe in a 7-to-2 vote, essentially making abortion legal.

• The Supreme Court based their decision on the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

Interpretation

• The decision is still highly debated about today

• Many believe it was unconstitutional

• It has been referenced in many other cases involving abortion