Date Created:
Place Created: Los Angeles, California
Year Created: 1978
Historical Theme:
Description: Ten Mexican‑American women filed suit in May 1976 against physicians and administrators at the Los Angeles County‑USC Medical Center, alleging that they underwent tubal ligations without fully informed or voluntary consent while in labor or under duress. Judge Jesse W. Curtis Jr. presided over the bench trial, ultimately ruling in favor of the hospital, finding no deliberate intent to violate the plaintiffs’ rights. He noted serious communication failures, especially due to language barriers and the timing of consent requests. Although the plaintiffs did not receive monetary damages, the case prompted California and federal reforms: consent forms became available in Spanish, a 72‑hour waiting period for women under 21 was instituted, and welfare benefits could no longer be conditioned on sterilization decisions.
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