Which case recognized a constitutional right to privacy in the context of contraception for married couples?

Which case recognized a constitutional right to privacy in the context of contraception for married couples?

• A. Roe v. Wade
• B. Eisenstadt v. Baird
• C. Lawrence v. Texas
• D. Griswold v. Connecticut

Answer: (D)

The main idea here is that the Constitution protects a zone of privacy in intimate family decisions, including whether married couples may use contraception. Griswold v. Connecticut recognized this privacy and struck down a law that barred married couples from using contraceptives. The Court reasoned that although privacy isn’t stated explicitly in the text, it flows from the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, via the penumbras and emanations of several Bill of Rights guarantees, creating a constitutional right to marital privacy. By invalidating the statute, the Court held that the state cannot interfere with a couple’s decision to space or limit their family. This case directly addresses contraception for married couples, and it laid the groundwork for later privacy rulings that extended similar protections to other contexts.

The main idea here is that the Constitution protects a zone of privacy in intimate family decisions, including whether married couples may use contraception. Griswold v. Connecticut recognized this privacy and struck down a law that barred married couples from using contraceptives. The Court reasoned that although privacy isn’t stated explicitly in the text, it flows from the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, via the penumbras and emanations of several Bill of Rights guarantees, creating a constitutional right to marital privacy. By invalidating the statute, the Court held that the state cannot interfere with a couple’s decision to space or limit their family. This case directly addresses contraception for married couples, and it laid the groundwork for later privacy rulings that extended similar protections to other contexts.