RESPONDENT:Doe
LOCATION:Alabama Department of Corrections
DOCKET NO.: 75-442
DECIDED BY: Burger Court (1975-1981)
LOWER COURT: United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
CITATION: 432 US 519 (1977)
ARGUED: Jan 11, 1977
DECIDED: Jun 20, 1977
ADVOCATES:
Eugene P. Freeman – Argued the cause for the petitioners
Frank Susman – Argued the cause for the respondent
Facts of the case
A St. Louis policy prohibited non-therapeutic abortions in the city’s two publicly run hospitals.
Question
Did the policy violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment?
Media for Poelker v. Doe
Audio Transcription for Oral Argument – January 11, 1977 in Poelker v. Doe
Audio Transcription for Opinion Announcement – June 20, 1977 in Poelker v. Doe
Warren E. Burger:
I have the judgments and opinions for the Court to announce in two cases.
In 75-442 Poelker against Doe for the reasons stated in an opinion for the Court filed this morning, the judgment of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit is reversed and the case is remanded to that Court for further proceedings consistent with the opinion of the Court.
Mr. Justice Brennan, Mr. Justice Marshall and Mr. Justice Blackmun have filed or joined dissenting opinions.