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2: What Does Roe v. Wade Actually Say?
06/03/2022
2: What Does Roe v. Wade Actually Say?
This episode lays the groundwork for understanding Roe v. Wade, the famous 1973 Supreme Court decision that effectively legalized abortion nationwide for the first time. First, we set the stage - the legal stage that is. We begin with an explanation of Jane Roe’s initial lawsuit filed in the federal district court in Dallas, Texas against Henry Wade, the district attorney in Dallas County, where she argued that the 1854 Texas law criminalizing abortion, except in cases to save the life of the mother, was unconstitutional. Jane won half the case, so she appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Wade appealed to. We then move onto the appeal and explain the arguments put forth by both sides and unpack the decision of the court which didn’t give either side everything they wanted, but some of what they wanted. The decision itself, and its reasoning, has been a source of much controversy in legal and political circles alike given the unique trimester framework it laid out for balancing the interests of the pregnant woman, fetus, and the state. Finally, we recap with a TL;DR and set up the next episode where we’ll dissect the second most famous abortion case in America: Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992) and explore how it changed Roe and, despite its good intentions, muddied the abortion waters all the more. Links Mentioned Roe v. Wade - First Lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas: Roe v. Wade - Supreme Court: Griswold V. Connecticut: Planned Parenthood v. Texas: U.S. Constitution: U.S. Const. Bill of Rights: U.S. Const. 9th Amendment: U.S. Const. 14th Amendment: Connect with Kelley Keller on LinkedIn So, stay with me, and I’ll see you in Episode 3 of I am Roe, Hear Me Roar.
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