Opinion ID: 746244
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Invidious Discrimination against Familial Relationships

Text: 57 Bird next argues that the Act is unconstitutional because it protects certain familial relationships, but fails to protect others. Section 248(a) states that a parent or legal guardian of a minor shall not be subject to any penalties or civil remedies under this section for such activities insofar as they are directed exclusively at that minor. 18 U.S.C. § 248(a). Thus, a father who physically blocks his daughter from having an abortion has not violated the Act, but a brother who restrains his sister has violated the Act. Bird asserts that there is no reasonable basis for exempting certain familial relationships while exempting others. 58 As Bird is not related to Dr. Herring in any capacity, and the record does not establish that his actions in any manner reflect an attempt to affect the obtainment of abortion-related services by a member of his family, he lacks standing to advance this claim--his concern is simply not implicated by the facts here presented. This Court  'has no jurisdiction to pronounce any statute, either of a state or of the United States, void, because irreconcilable with the constitution, except as it is called upon to adjudge the legal rights of litigants in actual controversies.' ... [O]ne to whom application of a statute is constitutional will not be heard to attack the statute on the ground that impliedly it might also be taken as applying to other persons or other situations in which its application might be unconstitutional. United States v. Raines, 362 U.S. 17, 20, 80 S.Ct. 519, 522, 4 L.Ed.2d 524 (1960) (quoting Liverpool, N.Y. & Phila. S.S. Co. v. Commissioners of Emigration, 113 U.S. 33, 38-39, 5 S.Ct. 352, 355, 28 L.Ed. 899 (1885)); see also United States v. Salerno, 481 U.S. 739, 744-45 & n. 3, 107 S.Ct. 2095, 2100 & n. 3, 95 L.Ed.2d 697 (1987). Accordingly, we express no opinion as to the merits of Bird's challenge in this respect.