January 2024 Auction Ends Thursday, January 25th, 5pm Pacific
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 1/25/2024
Handwritten and signed statement by Linda Coffee, one of the two women who successfully argued Roe v. Wade before the Supreme Court, famously giving women in the United States the right to an abortion. Both Coffee and Sarah Weddington represented ''Jane Roe'' in the historic case, and here Coffee describes how the case originated, as well as her thoughts on the 2022 Supreme Court case that overturned Roe. Penned in white felt-tip on a 20'' x 16'' photo, she writes in full,
''In 1969, I came upon a mention of California's People v. Belous. Here was a ruling that rendered a state abortion law void on grounds that it was constitutionally vague and that it violated the due process clause of the 14th Amendment. I then thought the Texas abortion law was vulnerable too (Buchanan v. Batchelor).
The Texas law was a legal relic, out of step with the reality that if a woman self-aborted -- she wasn't guilty of a crime, not even a misdemeanor. We then found an unhappily pregnant woman Norma McCorvey.
She wanted an abortion and wished to proceed with a lawsuit. I quickly fashioned for her a pseudonym, combining Jane (which was suitably common) with Roe (which, along with, Doe, was standard legal vernacular). Roe v. Wade remained settled law for 49 years until the 2022 conservative Supreme Court ruling. An overwhelming majority of Americans believe abortion should be legal.
Linda Coffee, Esq.
Supreme Court Counsel -- Roe vs. Wade''.
Satin-finish photo measures 20'' x 16''. Minor smudging, else near fine condition. Accompanied by an additional LOA signed by Coffee.
Linda Coffee Handwritten & Signed Statement on a 20'' x 16'' Photo -- Coffee Was Co-Counsel for the Supreme Court Case Roe v. Wade, Giving American Women the Right to an Abortion in 1973
Click above for larger image.