BIGELOW v. VIRGINIA
Supreme Court Cases
421 U.S. 809 (1975)
Case Overview
Legal Principle at Issue
An advertisement carried in appellants newspaper led to his conviction for a violation of a Virginia statute that made it a misdemeanor, by the sale or circulation of any publication, to encourage or prompt the procuring of an abortion. The issue is whether the editor-appellant's First Amendment rights were unconstitutionally abridged by the statute.
Action
Reversed. Petitioning party received a favorable disposition.
Advocated for Respondent
- D. Patrick Lacy Jr. View all cases
Advocated for Petitioner
- Melvin L. Wulf View all cases
- John C. Lowe View all cases
Cite this page
- BIGELOW v. VIRGINIA. (n.d.). First Amendment Library. Retrieved March 11, 2025, from https://www.thefire.org/supreme-court/bigelow-v-virginia
- BIGELOW v. VIRGINIA, First Amendment Library, https://www.thefire.org/supreme-court/bigelow-v-virginia (last visited 11 Mar. 2025).
- Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE). "BIGELOW v. VIRGINIA." Oyez. https://www.thefire.org/supreme-court/bigelow-v-virginia (accessed March 11, 2025).
- "BIGELOW v. VIRGINIA." First Amendment Library. Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), n.d. 11 Mar. 2025, www.thefire.org/supreme-court/bigelow-v-virginia.