Baird v. Bellotti: Abortion-The Minor's Right to Decide

Authors

Kathleen McGilvray

Abstract

In the recent case of Baird v. Bellotti, a Massachusetts federal district court struck down state legislation providing for judicial and parental intrusion into a minor's informed decision to abort. The policies behind the statute and reasoning offered by the court in its invalidation are examined below in light of relevant case law and constitutional strictures. The author's exploration of the present boundaries of minors' rights in the abortion choice concludes with approval of the continued protection of these rights by the court in Baird.