Lifchez v. Hartigan
United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
735 F. Supp. 1361 (1990)
An Illinois criminal statute made it a Class A misdemeanor to sell or experiment upon a human fetus unless the experimentation was therapeutic to the fetus, expressly excepting in vitro fertilization from the prohibition. A class of reproductive endocrinology and fertility physicians led by Dr. Lifchez (plaintiffs) challenged the statute's constitutionality in a declaratory-judgment action against the Illinois Attorney General and Cook County State's Attorney (defendants).
Whether an Illinois statute that prohibits intentional experimentation upon a human fetus except for in vitro fertilization or experimentation that is therapeutic to the fetus is constitutional.