Roe v. Wade

TIMELINE: Roe v. Wade Abortion Law From 1973-2022

On Friday, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, allowing states to ban abortion

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The case Roe v. Wade was brought by a woman named Norma McCorvey who went under the pseudonym Jane Roe. She sought an abortion in Texas, where it was illegal except to save a mother's life.

May 22, 1970: Roe filed a lawsuit against the local District Attorney Henry Wade, claiming abortion laws were unconstitutional. A three-judge panel on the U.S. District Court ruled in her favor.

1971: The Supreme Court of the United States agreed to hear Roe's case.

January 22, 1973: The Supreme Court issued a 7-2 decision in favor of Roe holding that women have a constitutional right to an abortion under the 14th Amendment.

September 30, 1976: The Hyde Amendment passes, prohibiting government funds from being spent on abortion services except for rape, incest or life-threatening situations.

June 29, 1992: The Supreme Court ruled on the case of Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pa. v. Casey in a 5-4 decision. As the first serious test to Roe's precedent, the case placed new limits on the right to state-level abortion restrictions in Pennsylvania.

June 17, 2003: In a twist, Roe filed a motion with the federal court in Dallas to have her case overturned, arguing that abortion hurts women.

The Supreme Court decision on Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization overturned a right established by other justices in the Roe v. Wade decision in 1973.

September 14, 2004: A three-judge panel dismissed Roe's motion in the U.S. Court of Appeals.

November 8, 2016: Donald Trump was elected President of the United States. During his presidency, he appointed three conservative judges to the court - Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett — solidifying a conservative majority.

June 27, 2016: In its strongest defense of abortion rights in 25 years, the court strikes down Texas rules forcing clinics to meet hospital-like standards and doctors to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals.

December 1, 2021: Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization was brought to the Supreme Court, a case dealing with a Mississippi law that bans abortion after 15 weeks. Upholding Mississippi's ban would mean overturning Roe.

May 2, 2022: A Politico report details a leaked Supreme Court draft opinion indicating the Court would overturn Roe v. Wade. The news set off protests and rallies across the country.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reacts to the Supreme Court's overruling of Roe v. Wade.

June 24, 2022: The court ruled 6-3 to uphold Mississippi's law, with the decision to overturn Roe a 5-4 vote. Chief Justice John Roberts joined the conservative justices in the decision to uphold Mississippi's law, but urged a concurring opinion concerning Roe. The decision is expected to lead to abortion bans in roughly half the states in the nation.

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