Roe v. Wade Case Brief Summary | Law Case Explained

Roe v. Wade | 410 U.S. 113 (1973)

In 1973, the United States Supreme Court issued its decision in Roe versus Wade. The effect of the Court’s ruling was immediate and far-reaching, expanding the right to privacy under the Fourteenth Amendment and altering the legal landscape on the issue of abortion across the country.

Norma McCorvey, a single, pregnant woman in Texas, sought an abortion. At the time, Texas law prohibited abortions unless performed or obtained to save the life of the mother. To protect her privacy, McCorvey filed suit in federal court under the name Jane Roe. The defendant was Henry Wade, the district attorney in the Texas county where McCorvey sought the abortion.

Roe argued that the abortion ban was unconstitutional and asked the court to issue an order that would stop Texas from enforcing the law.

The district court found the Texas restriction on abortion unconstitutional on the grounds that the statute was too vague and overly broad and impinged on the rights reserved to the people under the Ninth Amendment. However, the court didn’t issue an injunction to bar Texas from enforcing its ban, so Roe’s options in Texas didn’t really change. Arguing that the district court’s lack of injunctive relief was insufficient, Roe appealed directly to the Supreme Court.