In 1973, the Supreme Court declared that, except under certain 
conditions, states may not prohibit a woman’s right to have an abortion 
during the first six months of pregnancy.  This decision affected 
thirty-one states’ antiabortion laws.  It all began in 1970 when 
a Texan waitress challenged a state law that made abortion a criminal 
offense.
	A woman calling herself “Jane Roe”, the plaintiff, was denied an 
abortion under the law and she sued Dallas County District Attorney 
Henry Wade, the defendant.  The Supreme Court ruled that the Texas 
law violated a woman’s right to privacy, which was protected by 
the 14th Amendment to the Constitution and by several parts of the 
Bill of Rights. 
	The 14th Amendment in the Constitution states that no State shall 
deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process 
of law.  So how is it legal for these states to make it possible 
so women cannot have abortions.  Depriving them of an abortion would 
be depriving them of possible life and property (if you consider 
an unborn baby property of the mother).
 	The court said that states may not interfere with a woman’s decision 
to have an abortion.  It also ruled that states may regulate abortions 
during the second trimester only to protect a woman’s health.  This 
case had a great effect on more than half of the United States.
	This case was and is very important to society today.  More and 
more women are getting abortions because they are safer to do.  
Although many more Pro-life (anti-abortion) groups are becoming 
involved in stopping abortion clinics.
	If the outcome of this case had been any different the world would 
be a very different place.  If abortion had been totally outlawed 
then many people would give themselves abortions, even killing themselves 
in the act.  The population would be in a dramatic increase right 
now and in the future the world would be very overly populated.  
In the far, far future if no one was allowed abortions there would 
be many unwanted babies and illegal abortions killing mothers.