Hodgson v. Minnesota - The Case At Hand

In 1981, the state of Minnesota enacted a parental notification law for abortion. The law required women under the age of 18 to inform both of their parents of their desire to terminate a pregnancy. After 48 hours, the woman could then have an abortion performed with or without parental consent. Exceptions to this rule were made in cases of medical emergency, parental abuse, or neglect. A separate provision of the law provided for a "judicial bypass" of parental notification. Through this procedure, a judge could allow a minor to have an abortion if he or she felt the woman was sufficiently mature enough to make the decision, or if notifying the parents did not serve the woman's best interests. A group of Minnesota citizens, comprised of pregnant minors, doctors, and abortion rights advocates, filed suit in the U.S. District Court. They hoped to have the law struck down as unconstitutional.