Question

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

a.Discuss the facts of the case. (Who are the parties? What happened?)

a.Was the decision unanimous? If not, who dissented and why did they dissent? (find and read the dissenting opinion)

b.Why is this case important for health care administrators? (may be separate or combined with i. for your conclusion)

c.What do you think about the decision? (may be separate or combined with h. for your conclusion)

Answer 1

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

a.Discuss the facts of the case. (Who are the parties? What happened?)

Plantiff: The case was filed by Norma McCorvey in 1971, known as Jane ROE in court documents.

McCorvey, who lived in Texas and was looking to terminate an unwanted pregnancy not on the grounds of health risks. But the Texas laws prohibited her from the same as it was a crime other than situations of life threatening risks for woman. Similar laws were in place in almost all state at the time.

Defendant : Henry WADE, the district attorney of Dallas County from 1951 to 1987. The defendant enforced the prohibition of abortion under Texas law, except to save a woman's life.

The Constitutional Question aroused in the case was about the Constitutional right of a woman to obtain an abortion at her convenience.

The court ruling allowed for legal abortions during the entire pregnancy. Provided, there are set up conditions to support states to regulate abortion in the second and third trimesters.

The Court decision states that a woman's right to an abortion must be considered l within the right to privacy and protected by the Fourteenth Amendment. The supreme court decision affected the laws in 46 states regarding abortion.

Infact, McCorvey never had an abortion as the court proceedings took 3 years to reach the supreme court and for the final decisions. She had delivered a baby girl and given her for adoption.

In later life she became the part of an anti-abortion movement and tried to make the court to reconsider the earlier decision, But was unsuccessful.

a.Was the decision unanimous? If not, who dissented and why did they dissent? (find and read the dissenting opinion)

The decision was issues by the court in January 1973 by a majority vote of 7-2. The majority of the court panel voted to strike down the Texas law. Two member Justices Byron White and William Rehnquist dissented the decision.

The dissented people were in total disagreement with the decision.

White even stated that, he find nothing to support the Court's judgment in the language or history of the Constitution.

b. Why is this case important for health care administrators? (may be separate or combined with i. for your conclusion)

Healthcare administrators may face the situations to take decisions on allowing abortions and must know about the state laws on it. It gives them protection against liability suits and allows them to mould the patient’s for informed decision making.

c.What do you think about the decision? (may be separate or combined with h. for your conclusion)

The case of abortion on grounds of medical emergencies for both mother and child or accidents like rape must be allowed to ensure quality of life. Avoidance of unwanted pregnancies should be advocated that abortions.