Word v. Poelker

495 F.2d 1349
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
DecidedFebruary 20, 1974
DocketNo. 73-1739
StatusPublished
Cited by34 cases

This text of 495 F.2d 1349 (Word v. Poelker) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Word v. Poelker, 495 F.2d 1349 (8th Cir. 1974).

Opinion

STEPHENSON, Circuit Judge.

This appeal concerns a constitutional attack on St. Louis City Ordinance No. 56579. The ordinance defines, requires a city permit for, regulates, and restricts abortion clinics. The district court abstained. We reach the merits [1350]*1350and hold the ordinance to be unconstitutional.

The ordinance in question which is set out in full as Appendix A of this opinion, attempts to regulate any public place wherein abortions are performed with the exception of public hospitals. Abortions as defined by the ordinance include “the termination of human pregnancy * * * except those found on advice of a licensed physician to be necessary to preserve the life of the mother.” The penalty for noncompliance constitutes a misdemeanor carrying a fine of from $250 to $500 or 90 days imprisonment or both. See Appendix A.

The plaintiff-appellants are Dr. Parker H. Word, M. D., a practicing St. Louis, Missouri physician and Reproductive Health Services, Incorporated, a non-profit medical service corporation existing under the laws of Missouri.

United States District Judge Regan invoked the doctrine of abstention and dismissed the case without prejudice urging that “plaintiffs should institute and prosecute in the state courts an appropriate proceeding respecting the validity of the ordinance on state as well as federal grounds.” Plaintiffs appeal.

On October 17, 1973 this court granted appellants’ motion for injunction pending appeal and expedited the appeal.

Abstention

It is now clear from the decisions in Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113, 93 S.Ct. 705, 35 L.Ed.2d 147 (1973) and Doe v. Bolton, 410 U.S. 179, 93 S.Ct. 739, 35 L.Ed.2d 201 (1973) that a sweeping regulation of the abortion decision and its implementation raises clear questions of constitutional dimension regarding a medical doctor’s right to practice. Doe v. Bolton, supra at 188, 93 S.Ct. 739; Roe v. Wade, supra at 165 of 410 U.S., 93 S.Ct. 705. See also Nyberg v. City of Virginia, 495 F.2d 1342 (CA8 1974) also decided today. Abstention would serve no valid purpose.

This is not one of those “special circumstances” where the federal courts need refrain from ruling on federal constitutional claims. Wisconsin v. Constantineau, 400 U.S. 433, 437-439, 91 S.Ct. 507, 27 L.Ed.2d 515 (1971); Zwiclder v. Koota, 389 U.S. 241, 88 S.Ct. 391, 19 L. Ed.2d 444 (1967); Hathaway v. Worcester City Hospital, 475 F.2d 701, 705 (CA1 1973). The issue in this ease relates to the facial constitutionality of the St. Louis city ordinance when viewed against the backdrop now available in the Roe and Doe decisions. That determination can be made on the record before us. We choose to make that determination. See, Wisconsin v. Constantineau, supra at 439 of 400 U.S., 91 S.Ct. 507; Baggett v. Bullitt, 377 U.S. 360, 375-379, 84 S.Ct. 1316, 12 L.Ed.2d 377 (1964).

The Merits

i [2, 3] A careful reading of the United States Supreme Court decisions in Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton1 establishes the following broad bases for our decision in this case (and in Nyberg v. City of Virginia, 495 F.2d 1342, also decided today):

(1) The “fundamental” right of privacy includes the abortion decision. Roe v. Wade, supra 153-156 [of 410 U.S.], 93 S.Ct. 705.
(2) Even so, no woman has a right to an abortion “at whatever time, in whatever way, and for whatever reason she alone chooses;” there is no right to abortion on demand. Roe v. Wade, supra at 153, 93 S.Ct. at 727; Doe v. Bolton, supra at 189 of 410 U.S., 93 S.Ct. 739.
(3) The state interest in protecting the health of the pregnant woman and the separate interest of protecting potential human life become compelling at certain points in the pregnancy term (at the end of the first and second trimesters respectively) then and there affording the state the opportu[1351]*1351nity to reasonably regulate the abortion procedure. Roe v. Wade, supra 162-164 of 410 U.S., 93 S.Ct. 705; Doe v. Bolton, supra 194-195 of 410 U.S., 93 S.Ct. 739.
(4) The state regulation must be reasonably and legitimately related to the recognized state interests set out above. Roe v. Wade, supra 162-166 of 410 U.S., 93 S.Ct. 705; Doe v. Bolton, supra 194-195 of 410 U.S., 93 S.Ct. 739.
(5) Prior to the compelling points (during the first trimester of the pregnancy term) the abortion decision and its effectuation is “inherently, and primarily a medical decision, and basic responsibility for it must rest with the physician.” Roe v. Wade, supra at 166 of 410 U.S., 93 S.Ct. at 733. See also Doe v. Bolton, supra 192-200 of 410 U.S., 93 S.Ct. 739.

The city ordinance in question here reflects no recognition of the fundamental rights involved and the commensurate restrictions on state action. Neither are we cited to any persuasive data convincing us that the stringent regulatory measures in the act are necessary to protect either the state’s interest in maternal health or future life. No other medical procedures or surgical operations are cited to us where the city or state regulates at the peril of criminal sanctio’ns.

We hold that St. Louis city ordinance No. 56579 is, by reason of its failure to exclude the first trimester of pregnancy, an invalid and overbroad enactment infringing unreasonably upon fundamental rights. Doe and Roe, both supra; Nyberg v. City of Virginia, 495 F.2d 1342 (CA8 1974) also decided today. It is additionally invalid because its stringent requirements are not legitimately related to recognized objectives of the state to protect maternal health and potential human life.

Appellee argues that this result is not warranted since the ordinance here does not prohibit abortion but merely regulates the “persons, conditions and procedures under which abortions are to be performed.” While we agree with ap-pellee that the ordinance does not proscribe abortions, we do not agree that that fact, of itself, removes the ordinance from the constitutional realm of Roe and Doe. The Doe decision clearly struck down portions of the Georgia statute governing abortion procedures. Doe v. Bolton, supra 192-200 of 410 U. S., 93 S.Ct. 739. We learn from Doe that sweeping regulation of the abortion procedure without regard for the conflicting interests involved will not withstand constitutional scrutiny. Accord, Nyberg, supra and citations (at 1345 of 495 F.2d) also decided today.

Viewed another way, there is reason to strike down this ordinance.

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Bluebook (online)
495 F.2d 1349, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/word-v-poelker-ca8-1974.