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Bellotti v. Baird (full text) :: 443 U.S. 622 (1979) :: Justia U.S. Supreme Court Center Log In
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Bellotti v. Baird 443 U.S. 622 (1979)
U.S. Supreme CourtBellotti v. Baird, 443 U.S. 622 (1979)Bellotti v. BairdNo. 78-329Argued February 27, 1979Decided July 2, 1979*443 U.S. 622APPEAL FROM THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
1. There are three reasons justifying the conclusion that the constitutional Page 443 U. S. 623 rights of children cannot be equated with those of adults: the peculiar vulnerability of children; their inability to make critical decisions in an informed, mature manner; and the importance of the guiding role of parents in the upbringing of their children. Pp. 443 U. S. 633-639.
POWELL, J., announced the judgment of the Court and delivered an opinion, in which BURGER, C.J., and STEWART and REHNQUIST, JJ., joined. Page 443 U. S. 624 REHNQUIST, J., filed a concurring opinion, post, p. 443 U. S. 651. STEVENS, J., filed an opinion concurring in the judgment, in which BRENNAN, MARSHALL, and BLACKMUN, JJ., joined, post, p. 443 U. S. 652. WHITE, J., filed a dissenting opinion, post, p. 443 U. S. 656.
These appeals present a challenge to the constitutionality of a state statute regulating the access of minors to abortions. They require us to continue the inquiry we began in Planned Parenthood of Central Missouri v. Danforth, 428 U. S. 52 (1976), and Bellotti v. Baird, 428 U. S. 132 (1976). Page 443 U. S. 625
"If the mother is less than eighteen years of age and has not married, the consent of both the mother and her parents [to an abortion to be performed on the mother] is required. If one or both of the mother's parents refuse such consent, consent may be obtained by order of a judge of the superior court for good cause shown, after such hearing as he deems necessary. Such a hearing will not require the appointment of a guardian for the mother. If one of the parents has died or has deserted his or her family, consent by the remaining parent is sufficient. If both parents have died or have deserted their family, consent of the mother's guardian or other Page 443 U. S. 626 person having duties similar to a guardian, or any person who had assumed the care and custody of the mother is sufficient. The commissioner of public health shall prescribe a written form for such consent. Such form shall be signed by the proper person or persons and given to the physician performing the abortion who shall maintain it in his permanent files."
Mary Moe was permitted to represent the "class of unmarried minors in Massachusetts who have adequate capacity to give a valid and informed consent [to abortion], and who do not wish to involve their parents." Baird v. Bellotti, 393 F.Supp. 847, 850 (Mass.1975) (Baird I). Initially there was some confusion whether the rights of minors who wish abortions without parental involvement but who lack "adequate capacity" to give such consent also could be adjudicated in Page 443 U. S. 627 the suit. The District Court ultimately determined that Dr. Zupnick was entitled to assert the rights of these minors. See Baird v. Bellotti, 450 F.Supp. 997, 1001, and n. 6 (Mass.1978). [Footnote 5]
Following three days of testimony, the District Court issued an opinion invalidating § 12S. Baird I, supra. The court rejected appellees' argument that all minors capable of becoming pregnant also are capable of giving informed consent Page 443 U. S. 628 to an abortion, or that it always is in the best interests of a minor who desires an abortion to have one. See 393 F.Supp. at 854. But the court was convinced that "a substantial number of females under the age of 18 are capable of forming a valid consent," id. at 855, and "that a significant number of [these] are unwilling to tell their parents." Id. at 853.
After briefing and oral argument, it became apparent that § 12S was susceptible of a construction that "would avoid or substantially modify the federal constitutional challenge to the statute." Bellotti v. Baird, 428 U. S. 132, 428 U. S. 148 (1976) (Bellotti I). We therefore vacated the judgment of the District Court, concluding that it should have abstained and certified to the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts appropriate questions concerning the meaning of § 12S, pursuant to existing Page 443 U. S. 629 procedure in that State. See Mass.Sup.Jud.Ct. Rule 3:21.
On remand, the District Court certified nine questions to the Supreme Judicial Court. [Footnote 9] These were answered in an Page 443 U. S. 630 opinion styled Baird v. Attorney General, 371 Mass. 741, 360 N.E.2d 288 (1977) (Attorney General). Among the more important aspects of § 12S, as authoritatively construed by the Supreme Judicial Court, are the following:
4. As a general rule, a minor who desires an abortion may not obtain judicial consent without first seeking both parents' consent. Exceptions to the rule exist when a parent is not available or when the need for the abortion constitutes "an emergency requiring immediate action.'" [Footnote 10] Id. at 750, 360 N.E.2d at 294. Unless a parent is not available, he must be notified of any judicial proceedings brought under § 12S. Id. at 755-756, 360 N.E.2d at 297. Page 443 U. S. 631
Id. at 1001. In addition, the court concluded that it would not be in Page 443 U. S. 632 the best interests of some "immature" minors -- those incapable of giving informed consent -- even to inform their parents of their intended abortions. Although the court declined to decide whether the burden of requiring a minor to take her parents to court was, per se, an impermissible burden on her right to seek an abortion, it concluded that Massachusetts could not constitutionally insist that parental permission be sought or notice given
Having identified these flaws in § 12S, the District Court considered whether it should engage in "judicial repair." Id. at 1005. It declined either to sever the statute or to give Page 443 U. S. 633 it a construction different from that set out by the Supreme Judicial Court, as that tribunal arguably had invited it to do. See Attorney General, 371 Mass. at 745-746, 360 N.E.2d at 292. The District Court therefore adhered to its previous position, declaring § 12S unconstitutional and permanently enjoining its enforcement. [Footnote 11] Appellants sought review in this Court a second time, and we again noted probable jurisdiction. 439 U.S. 925 (1978).
"Children have a very special place in life which law should reflect. Legal theories and their phrasing in other cases readily lead to fallacious reasoning if uncritically transferred to determination Page 443 U. S. 634 of a State's duty towards children."
The Court's concern for the vulnerability of children is demonstrated in its decisions dealing with minors' claims to constitutional protection against deprivations of liberty or property interests by the State. With respect to many of these claims, we have concluded that the child's right is virtually coextensive with that of an adult. For example, the Court has held that the Fourteenth Amendment's guarantee against the deprivation of liberty without due process of law is applicable to children in juvenile delinquency proceedings. In re Gault, supra. In particular, minors involved in such proceedings are entitled to adequate notice, the assistance of counsel, and the opportunity to confront their accusers. They can be found guilty only upon proof beyond a reasonable doubt, and they may assert the privilege against compulsory self-incrimination. In re Winship, 397 U. S. 358 (1970); In re Gault, supra. See also Ingraham v. Wright, 430 U. S. 651, 430 U. S. 674 (1977) (corporal punishment of schoolchildren implicates constitutionally protected liberty interest); cf. Breed v. Jones, 421 U. S. 519 (1975) (Double Jeopardy Clause prohibits prosecuting juvenile as an adult after an adjudicatory finding in juvenile court that he had violated a criminal statute). Page 443 U. S. 635 Similarly, in Goss v. Lopez, 419 U. S. 565 (1975), the Court held that children may not be deprived of certain property interests without due process.
Second, the Court has held that the States validly may limit the freedom of children to choose for themselves in the making of important, affirmative choices with potentially serious consequences. These rulings have been grounded in the recognition that, during the formative years of childhood and adolescence, minors often lack the experience, perspective, and judgment to recognize and avoid choices that could be detrimental to them. [Footnote 13] Page 443 U. S. 636
id. at 390 U. S. 638, quoting Prince v. Massachusetts, 321 U. S. 158, 321 U. S. 170 (1944). [Footnote 14] The Court was convinced that the New York Legislature rationally could conclude that the sale to children of the magazines in question presented a danger against which they should be guarded. Ginsberg, supra, at 390 U. S. 641. It therefore rejected the Page 443 U. S. 637 argument that the New York law violated the constitutional rights of minors. [Footnote 15]
"The duty to prepare the child for 'additional obligations' . . . Page 443 U. S. 638 must be read to include the inculcation of moral standards, religious beliefs, and elements of good citizenship."
Properly understood, then, the tradition of parental authority is not inconsistent with our tradition of individual liberty; rather, the former is one of the basic presuppositions of the latter. Legal restrictions on minors, especially those supportive of the parental role, may be important to the child's chances for the full growth and maturity that make eventual Page 443 U. S. 639 participation in a free society meaningful and rewarding. [Footnote 17] Under the Constitution, the State can
With these principles in mind, we consider the specific constitutional questions presented by these appeals. In § 12S, Massachusetts has attempted to reconcile the constitutional right of a woman, in consultation with her physician, to choose to terminate her pregnancy as established by Roe v. Wade, 410 U. S. 113 (1973), and Doe v. Bolton, 410 U. S. 179 (1973), with the special interest of the State in encouraging an unmarried pregnant minor to seek the advice of her parents in making the important decision whether or not to bear a child. As noted above, § 12S was before us in Bellotti I, 428 U. S. 132 (1976), where we remanded the case for interpretation of its provisions by the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts. We previously had held in Planned Parenthood of Central Missouri v. Danforth, 428 U. S. 52 (1976), that a State could not lawfully authorize an absolute parental veto over the decision of a minor to terminate her pregnancy. Id. at 428 U. S. 74. In Page 443 U. S. 640 Bellotti I, supra, we recognized that § 12S could be read as "fundamentally different from a statute that creates a parental veto,'" 428 U.S. at 428 U. S. 145, thus "avoid[ing] or substantially modify[ing] the federal constitutional challenge to the statute." Id. at 428 U. S. 148. The question before us -- in light of what we have said in the prior cases -- is whether § 12S, as authoritatively interpreted by the Supreme Judicial Court, provides for parental notice and consent in a manner that does not unduly burden the right to seek an abortion. See id. at 428 U. S. 147.
"There can be little doubt that the State furthers a constitutionally permissible end by encouraging an unmarried Page 443 U. S. 641 pregnant minor to seek the help and advice of her parents in making the very important decision whether or not to bear a child. That is a grave decision, and a girl of tender years, under emotional stress, may be ill-equipped to make it without mature advice and emotional support. It seems unlikely that she will obtain adequate counsel and support from the attending physician at an abortion clinic, where abortions for pregnant minors frequently take place."
(Footnote omitted.) [Footnote 21] Page 443 U. S. 642
Yet an abortion may not be the best choice for the minor. The circumstances in which this issue arises will vary widely. In a given case, alternatives to abortion, such as marriage to the father of the child, arranging for its adoption, or assuming the responsibilities of motherhood with the assured support of Page 443 U. S. 643 family, may be feasible and relevant to the minor's best interests. Nonetheless, the abortion decision is one that simply cannot be postponed, or it will be made by default, with far-reaching consequences.
A pregnant minor is entitled in such a proceeding to show either: (1) that she is mature enough and well enough informed to make her abortion decision, in consultation with her physician, independently of her parents' wishes; [Footnote 23] or Page 443 U. S. 644 (2) that even if she is not able to make this decision independently, the desired abortion would be in her best interests. The proceeding in which this showing is made must assure that a resolution of the issue, and any appeals that may follow, will be completed with anonymity and sufficient expedition to provide an effective opportunity for an abortion to be obtained. In sum, the procedure must ensure that the provision requiring parental consent does not, in fact, amount to the "absolute; and possibly arbitrary, veto" that was found impermissible in Danforth. Ibid.
Attorney General, Page 443 U. S. 645 371 Mass. at 748, 360 N.E.2d at 293. The Supreme Judicial Court also stated:
Despite these safeguards, which avoid much of what was objectionable in the statute successfully challenged in Danforth, § 12S falls short of constitutional standards in certain respects. We now consider these. Page 443 U. S. 646
Attorney General, supra at 750, 360 N.E.2d at 294. The text of § 12S itself states an exception to this rule, making consent unnecessary from any parent who has "died or has deserted his or her family." [Footnote 26] The Supreme Judicial Court construed the statute as containing an additional exception: consent need not be obtained "where no parent (or statutory substitute) is available." 371 Mass. at 750, 360 N.E.2d at 294. The court also ruled that an available parent must be given notice of any judicial proceedings brought by a minor to obtain consent for an abortion. [Footnote 27] Id. at 755-756, 360 N.E.2d at 297. Page 443 U. S. 647
We conclude, therefore, that, under state regulation such as that undertaken by Massachusetts, every minor must have the opportunity -- if she so desires -- to go directly to a court without first consulting or notifying her parents. If she satisfies the court that she is mature and well enough informed to make intelligently the abortion decision on her own, the court must authorize her to act without parental consultation or consent. If she fails to satisfy the court that she is competent to make this decision independently, she must be permitted to show that an abortion nevertheless would be in her Page 443 U. S. 648 best interests. If the court is persuaded that it is, the court must authorize the abortion. If, however, the court is not persuaded by the minor that she is mature or that the abortion would be in her best interests, it may decline to sanction the operation.
Section 12S requires that both parents consent to a minor's abortion. The District Court found it to be "custom" to perform other medical and surgical procedures on minors with the consent of only one parent, and it concluded that "nothing about abortions . . . requires the minor's interest to be treated Page 443 U. S. 649 differently." Baird I, 393 F.Supp. at 852. See Baird III, supra, at 1004 n. 9.
"If the superior court finds that the minor is capable [of making], and has, in fact, made and adhered to, an informed and reasonable decision to have an abortion, may the court refuse its consent based on a finding that a parent's, or its own, contrary decision Page 443 U. S. 650 is a better one?"
The Supreme Judicial Court's statement reflects the general rule that a State may require a minor to wait until the age of majority before being permitted to exercise legal rights independently. See n 23, supra. But we are concerned here with the exercise of a constitutional right of unique character. See supra at 443 U. S. 642-643. As stated above, if the minor satisfies a court that she has attained sufficient maturity to make a fully informed decision, she then is entitled to make her abortion decision independently. We therefore agree with the District Court that § 12S cannot constitutionally permit judicial disregard of the abortion decision of a minor who has been determined to be mature and fully competent to assess the implications of the choice she has made. [Footnote 30] Page 443 U. S. 651
I join the opinion of MR. JUSTICE POWELL and the judgment of the Court. At such time as this Court is willing to Page 443 U. S. 652 reconsider its earlier decision in Planned Parenthood of Central Missouri v. Danforth, 428 U. S. 52 (1976), in which I joined the opinion of MR. JUSTICE WHITE, dissenting in part, I shall be more than willing to participate in that task. But unless and until that time comes, literally thousands of judges cannot be left with nothing more than the guidance offered by a truly fragmented holding of this Court.
In Roe v. Wade, 410 U. S. 113, the Court held that a woman's right to decide whether to terminate a pregnancy is Page 443 U. S. 653 entitled to constitutional protection. In Planned Parenthood of Central Missouri v. Danforth, 428 U. S. 52, 428 U. S. 72-75, the Court held that a pregnant minor's right to make the abortion decision may not be conditioned on the consent of one parent. I am persuaded that these decisions require affirmance of the District Court's holding that the Massachusetts statute is unconstitutional.
Whatever confusion or uncertainty might have existed as to how this statute was to operate, see Bellotti v. Baird, 428 U. S. 132, has been eliminated by the authoritative construction of its provisions by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. See Baird v. Attorney General, 371 Mass. 741, 360 N E.2d 288 (1977). The statute was construed to require that every minor who wishes an abortion must first seek the consent of both parents, unless a parent is not available or unless the need for the abortion constitutes "an emergency requiring immediate action.'" Id. at 750, 360 N.E.2d at 294. Both parents, so long as they are available, must also receive notice of judicial proceedings brought under the statute by the minor. In those proceedings, the task of the judge is to determine whether the best interests of the minor will be served by an abortion. The decision is his to make, even if he finds "that the minor is capable of making, and has made, an informed and reasonable decision to have an abortion." Id. at 748, 360 N.E.2d at 293. Thus, no minor in Massachusetts, no matter how mature and capable of informed decisionmaking, may receive an abortion without the consent Page 443 U. S. 654 of either both her parents or a superior court judge. In every instance, the minor's decision to secure an abortion is subject to an absolute third-party veto. [Footnote 2/1]
Id. at 428 U. S. 74. These holdings, I think, equally apply to the Massachusetts statute. The differences between the two statutes are few. Unlike the Missouri statute, Massachusetts requires the consent of both of the woman's parents. It does, of course, provide an alternative in the form of a suit initiated by the woman in superior court. But in that proceeding, the judge is afforded an absolute veto over the minor's decisions, based on his judgment of her best interests. In Massachusetts, then, as in Missouri, the State has imposed an "absolute limitation on the minor's right to obtain an abortion," id. at 428 U. S. 90 (STEWART, J., concurring), applicable to every pregnant minor in the State who has not married. Page 443 U. S. 655
Whalen v. Roe, 429 U. S. 589, 429 U. S. 599-600 (footnotes omitted). It is inherent in the right to make the abortion decision that the right may be exercised without public scrutiny and in defiance of the contrary opinion of the sovereign or other third parties. In Massachusetts, however, every minor who cannot secure the consent of both her parents -- which, under Danforth, cannot be an absolute prerequisite to an abortion -- is required to secure the consent of the sovereign. As a practical matter, I would suppose that the need to commence judicial proceedings in order to obtain a legal abortion would impose a burden at least as great as, and probably greater than, that imposed on the minor child by the need to obtain the consent of a parent. [Footnote 2/3] Moreover, once this burden is met, the only standard provided for the judge's decision is the best interest of the minor. That standard provides little real guidance to the judge, and his decision must necessarily reflect personal and societal values and mores whose enforcement upon the minor -- particularly when contrary to her own informed and reasonable decision -- is fundamentally at odds Page 443 U. S. 656 with privacy interests underlying the constitutional protection afforded to her decision.
I was in dissent in Planned Parenthood of Central Missouri v. Danforth, 428 U. S. 52, 428 U. S. 94 95 (1976), on the issue of the validity of requiring the consent of a parent when an unmarried woman under 18 years of age seeks an abortion. I continue to have the views I expressed there, and also agree with much of what MR. JUSTICE STEVENS said in dissent in that Page 443 U. S. 657 case, id. at 428 U. S. 101-105. I would not, therefore, strike down this Massachusetts law.
The Fourteenth Amendment voids a state law requiring an unmarried minor to get consent of both paren...	Facts	Massachusetts imposed a law that required parental consent before an unmarried woman under the age o...