title: Fischer v. Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare, 31 May 1988.
abstract: The plaintiffs sought a preliminary injunction against enforcement of a Pennsylvania statute that provides that public funds will not be available for abortions in cases of rape and incest unless such events are properly reported before the time an abortion is sought.  The Court denied the request.  It held that, since there was no constitutional right to federal or state funds for abortions and the provisions served the valid purpose of assisting in the apprehension of perpetrators of crime, its requirements appeared to outweigh a woman's privacy rights so that a preliminary injunction was not warranted.  On 13 October 1988, the Commonwealth Court rejected a challenge by state legislators to the procedure by which the same statute had been enacted. See Ritter vs. Pennsylvania, 548 A.2d 1317.
mesh_terms: D000028:Abortion, Induced; D000569:Americas; D003415:Crime; D019049:Developed Countries; D004467:Economics; D005193:Family Planning Services; D005249:Fees and Charges; D005376:Financial Management; D005380:Financing, Government; D007179:Incest; D007603:Jurisprudence; D009656:North America; D010414:Pennsylvania; D011632:Public Assistance; D011902:Rape; D012940:Social Problems; D014481:United States
keywords: Abortion, Induced--legal aspects; Americas; Court Decision; Crime; Developed Countries; Economic Factors; Family Planning; Fees--legal aspects; Fertility Control, Postconception; Financial Activities; Financing, Government--legal aspects; Incest; North America; Northern America; Pennsylvania; Public Assistance--legal aspects; Rape; Social Problems; United States