Margaret S. v. Treen
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana
597 F. Supp. 636 (1984)
- Written by Elliot Stern, JD
Facts
The state of Louisiana enacted a law that required an attending physician to perform an ultrasound test before performing an abortion. A lawsuit challenging the law was brought by a number of parties impacted by the law. These groups included two individuals who represented the class of pregnant women who wanted an abortions, along with several doctors who performed abortions and several clinics that offered abortion (the abortion-right advocates) (plaintiffs). The abortion-right advocates argued that the Louisiana law unconstitutionally interfered with a woman’s fundamental right to an abortion. Specifically, the abortion-right advocates claimed that the law would increase the cost of abortions by imposing an unnecessary test and would decrease the availability of abortion services in Louisiana because the law would lead to physicians being able to perform fewer abortions. To substantiate their claim, the abortion-right advocates offered evidence showing that the ultrasound requirement would add at least $100 to the $60 to $195 range of abortion-service costs in Louisiana. Further, the evidence indicated that few potential abortion providers owned ultrasound machines or had training to perform ultrasound tests. Further, evidence was offered showing that the time required to perform an ultrasound would cause the number of abortions that could be performed in a 4-hour window to drop from 24 to 8. Louisiana argued that ultrasound testing was necessary to determine gestational age and, in turn, determine which abortion method should be employed. At trial, several physicians testified that a clinical examination and an ultrasound were comparably accurate and reliable methods of determining gestational age. Louisiana offered no evidence showing that the common clinical method for determining gestational age was inaccurate or unreliable.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Collins, J.)
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