William Baird (founder and
director of Parents Aid Society, Inc.), v Francis Bellotti (MA State Attorney
General) - 1979
Baird challenged a statute requiring
women under 18 to obtain parental or judicial consent before having an
abortion. The Court found the law
unconstitutional because it gave either a parent or a judge absolute power over
a minor's abortion decision � no matter how mature she was or that an abortion
might be in her best interests. Bellotti
v. Baird established that all minors must have the opportunity to gain a
judge�s approval to have an abortion, without first seeking the consent of
their parents, and that these court proceedings must be confidential and speedy.
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