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In 1969, a woman named Norma McCorvey was living in impoverished conditions, and was carrying a baby she didn't want. She had previously given birth to two children, having given both of them up for adoption. At this time, abortion was legal in Texas only for the purpose of saving the woman's life. -
Also in 1969, Norma McCorvey (or Jane Roe) attempted to get an illegal abortion and failed. Afterward, she was referred to Texas attorneys Linda Coffee and Sarah Weddington. Both were interested in challenging abortion laws. (Pictured is Sarah Weddington) -
Jane Roe and her attorneys filed a lawsuit against Henry Wade, district attorney of Dallas County Texas, where Jane lived. Henry had received media attention back in 1964 when he prosecuted Jack Ruby, the man who killed Lee Harvey Oswald, who was President John F. Kennedy's assassin. -
After taking Henry Wade to court, it was decided by the Texas District Court that Texas' anti-abortion laws were, in fact, illegal because they violated a constitutional right to privacy guaranteed in the 14th Amendment. However, after this decision, Wade declared that he would continue to prosecute doctors who performed abortions despite the Court's decision. -
The Supreme Court agreed to hear the case of Jane Roe V. Henry Wade in 1971 -
Arguments for the case were heard on December 13th, 1971. -
On January 22nd, 1973, the Supreme Court decided in favor of Jane Roe and a woman's right to having an abortion under the 14th Amendment of the Constitution. -
In 2003, Jane Roe had changed her opinion on the decision and filed a request to the US District Court in Dallas to have the previous decision from 1973 to be overturned. She cited new evidence she found that abortion hurt women. -
In September of 2004, Jane Roe's motion to overturn Roe V. Wade was dismissed by a three-judge panel from the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans.