Washington University Law Review Volume 58 Issue 2 January 1980 Right of Privacy Challenges to Prostitution Statutes Catherine D. Perry Washington University School of Law Follow this and additional works at: https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/law_lawreview Recommended Citation Catherine D. Perry, Right of Privacy Challenges to Prostitution Statutes, 58 WASH. U. L. Q. 439 (1980). Available at: https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/law_lawreview/vol58/iss2/8 This Note is brought to you for free and open access by the Law School at Washington University Open Scholarship. It has been accepted for inclusion in Washington University Law Review by an authorized administrator of Washington University Open Scholarship. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. RIGHT OF PRIVACY CHALLENGES TO PROSTITUTION STATUTES INTRODUCTION The abortion cases, Roe v. WadeI and Doe v. Bolton,2 led legal com- mentators and feminists to speculate that prostitution statutes violate the right of privacy recognized in those decisions.3 Although initially successful in some cases, the right to privacy argument ultimately has not prevailed in litigation challenging prostitution statutes. Other chal- lenges to the constitutionality of prostitution statutes have also been only marginally successful. Courts have recently considered whether prostitution statutes are impermissibly vague,4 violate equal protec- 1. 410 U.S. 113 (1973). 2. 410 U.S. 197 (1973). 3. See W. BARNETT, SExuAL FREEDOM AND THE CONSTITUTION (1973); J. JAMES, J. WITH- ERS, M. HAFT, S. THEISS & M. OWEN, THE POLITICS OF PROSTITUTION (2d ed. 1977) [hereinafter cited as J. JAMES]; Rosenbleet & Pariente, The Prostitutionof the CriminalLaw, I I AM. CRIM. L. REV.