Poe v. Ullman

Three consolidated suits challenged a Connecticut law banning contraceptive use and related medical advice: one by the Poes (plaintiffs), a married couple who had suffered pregnancies resulting in children with severe birth defects; one by Jane Doe (plaintiff), whose prior pregnancy caused extreme illness; and one by their physician, Dr. Buxton (plaintiff), who had recommended contraception to both. None of the plaintiffs, nor anyone in Connecticut, had ever actually been prosecuted for using or advising on contraceptives, which were openly sold in drugstores; the Connecticut courts dismissed the case.