Overview of Roe v. Wade

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Recommended: Abortion ethical and legal issues

In the later half of the nineteenth century and beginning of the twentieth century, many states adopted laws against abortion because abortions were performed in unsanitary conditions, which made the operation dangerous for women. Plus, society believed killing a possible life was immoral. However, as time progressed and morals changed, people begin to question weather or not the government had the right to interfere with peoples’ carnal matters.
In 1971, Norma McCorvey or Jane Roe, filled a case against the district attorney of Dallas County, Henry Wade, because he enforced a Texas law that prohibited abortion unless the abortion was needed medically, to save the mother’s life. Being a single, pregnant woman , Roe did not have the choice to have an abortion because the pregnancy was not endangering her life. Plus, Roe could not afford to travel to have the operation done safely. As a result, Linda Coffee and Sarah Weddington, two lawyers that graduated from the University of Texas Law School, claimed a lawsuit against the abortion laws in Texas because they violated Roe’s constitutional rights. Besides Roe’s two laywers, Hallford, a licensed physician, and a childless married couple known as the Does supported Roe’s case. The lawsuit against Wade was filed in a Texas Federal Court. The Texas Federal Court heard the case on December 13th, 1971 and again, on October 11th, 1972. After the examination of Weddington and Coffee’s argument against Jay Floyd’s, the lawyer for Wade during the first argument, and Robert C. Flower’s, the lawyer for Texas in the second argument, the court ruled in Roe’s favor by claiming that the law did violate the Constitution. Consequently, Wade appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court revi...

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...st trimester is not harmful for any life, and it can be referenced for cases regarding privacy.
What ever this instance is, the Roe v. Wade case set the stage for one of the most debated topics today. It will continue to be referenced on moral standpoints along with when privacy should be protected. Because the Roe v. Wade case ruled in favor of Roe, women today have the right to make an independent decision when they are incapable of parenting and caring for someone other than themselves.

Works Cited
Infoplease. Infoplease. n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2013.
"Jane ROE, Et Al., Appellants, v. Henry WADE." LII. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2013.
"Landmark Cases of the U.S. Supreme Court." Background Summary & Questions (•••). N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2013.
PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2013.
"Roe v. Wade Fast Facts." CNN. Cable News Network, 04 Nov. 2013. Web. 09 Dec. 2013.

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