Abortion Under State Constitutions

Book excerpt: Whether a state constitution protects a right to abortion is significant for two reasons: First, it may determine whether the State has the authority to enact and enforce laws regulating abortion (e.g., laws mandating informed consent or requiring parental notice or consent) within current federal constitutional limits. Second, and more important, it will determine whether the State would have the authority to enact and enforce laws prohibiting abortion, if the Supreme Court overrules Roe v. Wade and returns the issue of abortion to the States. Abortion under State Constitutions is the first, full-length treatment of the subject to appear in print. For each State, the author considers possible sources of a right to abortion in the state constitution (privacy, due process of law, equality of rights, equal protection, privileges and immunities, as well as other provisions); state court decisions interpreting those provisions; the relevant state constitutional history; pre-Roe prohibitions of abortion and their interpretation by state courts; post-Roe regulations of abortion; and what rights state law has conferred upon unborn children outside the context of abortion. Based upon the foregoing analysis, arranged topically within each State for ease of reference, the author concludes that thirteen state constitutions protect (or would be interpreted to protect) a state right to abortion that is independent of the right to abortion recognized in Roe v. Wade, while the supreme courts of the other thirty-seven States probably would not recognize a state right to abortion. Likely to become a standard reference work on the subject, Abortion under State Constitutions should be of interest not only to lawyers who litigate state abortion rights claims and judges who decide those cases, but to anyone on either side of the abortion debate who wants to have a better understanding of the status of abortion under state constitutions. "After an admirably incisive outline of federal constitutional law on abortion, Linton clarifies the law of each State in its own individual chapter, greatly facilitating the work of legislators, litigators, and lay activists concerned primarily about the law of their own particular State.... Although the author states that his work is meant to be "predictive" of future state supreme court decisions, he bases his estimations on close analysis of legal doctrine, not on uncertain guesswork about the political considerations of future courts and possible judicial activism. "Abortion under State Constitutions is sure to become the standard reference work for those concerned to resist (or to promote) a right to abortion founded on U.S. state constitutions."--Richard Stith, Professor of Law, Valparaiso University School of Law "Paul Benjamin Linton is one of the most thoughtful, insightful, and thorough legal authorities writing about biomedical ethics and law. Among his past masterpieces are influential law review articles analyzing suicide, euthanasia, same-sex marriage, equal rights, state abortion regulations, and abortion decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court. Now, Linton examines how abortion regulations have fared and would fare under state constitutions. Abortion under State Constitutions is a convincing explanation of the growing importance of state constitutional jurisprudence in controlling the regulation of abortion. The book is an invaluable, timely resource for lawmakers, judges, legal scholars, students, and anyone else interested in the constitutional, legal policy, and social strategies concerning the regulation of elective abortion in America."--Lynn D. Wardle, Bruce C. Hafen Professor of Law, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University "Scholars, advocates and activists involved in the abortion debate owe a debt of gratitude to Paul Linton for sharing his meticulous research. A comprehensive guide to the status of abortion under each state''s constitution, this book is a necessary tool for anyone seeking to predict the consequences of a United States Supreme Court decision overruling Roe v. Wade. As Mr. Linton carefully documents, abortion would remain legal in a minority of states due to state court decisions protecting the procedure under the respective state constitutions. The majority of states probably could enforce abortion prohibitions, but that would require new legislation in most of those states. Abortion under State Constitutions guides the reader through the differing law among the states. "This book will be of particular value to state lawmakers seeking to craft sound public policy in this volatile area. Whether the objective is to protect a woman''s right to choose or an unborn child''s right to life, attentive readers will benefit from Mr. Linton''s expert analysis of the development of state law. His description of the relationship between various state laws and constitutions reflects his decades of experience in advancing and defending state laws in this area.... Regardless of readers'' political views, Abortion under State Constitutions promises to inform, intrigue, and inspire those who care about the issue of abortion."--Teresa S. Collett, Professor of Law, University of St. Thomas School of Law "This is an important book for both sides."--Time Magazine Online