Statutory Construction: Abortion as a case study

Arizona was recently the flashpoint for one of the most intensely debated issues in US politics today: abortion. After a ruling from the Arizona Supreme Court, people from across the country voiced their opinions on whether abortion in Arizona should be more freely accessible or more restricted. What was almost totally ignored, however, were the two laws that the Supreme Court was considering and what they were actually deciding.

In this episode, we briefly review the history of abortion in Arizona, and we take a deeper look at the argument at the Supreme Court, what was the question that they were asked to consider, what their ruling said, and then a look forward to see where abortion laws are going in our state.

Understanding this issue might not change our minds about abortion, but it can help us understand more about criminal law in Arizona and statutory construction which is key to truly understanding criminal law and policy here in State 48.