| − | In '''''Stenberg v. Carhart''''', 530 U.S. 914 (2000), the [[U.S. Supreme Court]] decision which invalidated state laws against [[partial-birth abortion]], specifically declaring as unconstitutional a [[Nebraska]] law that outlawed [[abortion|partial-birth abortion]]. The case was filed by [[late term abortion | late term abortionist]] [[LeRoy Carhart]].<ref>[http://reproductiverights.org/en/press-room | Statement by Carhart]</ref> The Court invalidated these laws even though they had never been applied, contrary to its ruling in ''[[United States v. Salerno]]'', 481 U.S. 739, 745 (1987), that a facial challenge to a statute can succeed only if there are no circumstances in which the statute may be applied constitutionally. The Court did not even cite or distinguish the ''Salerno'' rule. | + | In '''''Stenberg v. Carhart''''', 530 U.S. 914 (2000), the [[U.S. Supreme Court]] decision which invalidated state laws against [[partial-birth abortion]], specifically declaring as unconstitutional a [[Nebraska]] law that outlawed [[abortion|partial-birth abortion]]. The case was predicated on the practice of [[late term abortion | late term abortionist]] [[LeRoy Carhart]].<ref>[http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/99-830.ZD2.html | Stenberg v Carhart]</ref> The Court invalidated these laws even though they had never been applied, contrary to its ruling in ''[[United States v. Salerno]]'', 481 U.S. 739, 745 (1987), that a facial challenge to a statute can succeed only if there are no circumstances in which the statute may be applied constitutionally. The Court did not even cite or distinguish the ''Salerno'' rule. |
| | This ruling was by the narrowest of margins, 5-4, and one of the Justices in the majority ([[Sandra Day O'Connor]]) has been replaced by Justice [[Samuel Alito]]. | | This ruling was by the narrowest of margins, 5-4, and one of the Justices in the majority ([[Sandra Day O'Connor]]) has been replaced by Justice [[Samuel Alito]]. |
| | A federal law banning [[partial-birth abortion]] was signed into law in 2003. Entitled the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act (HR 760, S 3), it passed in the House with a vote of 281-142 and in the Senate with a vote of 64-34. Federal courts prevented it from ever taking effect until the [[U.S. Supreme Court]] upheld the law in early 2007 in ''[[Gonzales v. Carhart]]''. | | A federal law banning [[partial-birth abortion]] was signed into law in 2003. Entitled the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act (HR 760, S 3), it passed in the House with a vote of 281-142 and in the Senate with a vote of 64-34. Federal courts prevented it from ever taking effect until the [[U.S. Supreme Court]] upheld the law in early 2007 in ''[[Gonzales v. Carhart]]''. |