Roe v. Wade - 10 things to know with detail
- 1. Roe v. Wade was a landmark Supreme Court case decided in 1973 that legalized abortion in the United States.
- 2. The case was brought by a woman named Norma McCorvey, who used the pseudonym "Jane Roe," against Henry Wade, the district attorney of Dallas County, Texas.
- 3. The Supreme Court ruled in a 7-2 decision that a woman's right to choose to have an abortion is protected by the constitutional right to privacy under the Fourteenth Amendment.
- 4. The ruling in Roe v. Wade established a trimester framework for regulating abortion. In the first trimester, states could not regulate abortion. In the second trimester, states could regulate abortion to protect the mother's health. In the third trimester, states could regulate or ban abortion except when necessary to protect the mother's life or health.
- 5. The decision in Roe v. Wade has been highly controversial and has sparked ongoing debate and legal challenges over the years.
- 6. Despite the ruling in Roe v. Wade, many states have passed laws restricting access to abortion, such as waiting periods, mandatory counseling, and limitations on when abortions can be performed.
- 7. The case has had a significant impact on American society and politics, with abortion rights becoming a key issue in national elections and political debates.
- 8. Roe v. Wade has been cited in numerous other Supreme Court cases related to abortion rights and reproductive freedom.
- 9. The decision in Roe v. Wade has been challenged in various ways, including attempts to overturn it through new legislation, court cases, and appointments to the Supreme Court.
- 10. The future of Roe v. Wade remains uncertain, with ongoing legal battles and political debates over abortion rights and access in the United States.