State of Oregon v. Buck

The decision this day made will render difficult, if not impossible, any effective effort on the part of *138law enforcement agencies to punish any violators of the criminal statute relative to abortions.

A criminal statute was enacted. An indictment was drawn in strict conformity therewith. Proof was made of all the allegations of the charge. The jury found the defendant guilty. This court reverses the conviction because it holds that another law, passed for a different and limited purpose, has transformed the clear language of the criminal statute into a labyrinthian maze of confusion and…