About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

43 Fla. St. U. L. Rev. 315 (2015-2016)
Is Personhood the Answer to Resolve Frozen Pre-Embryo Disputes

handle is hein.journals/flsulr43 and id is 325 raw text is: IS PERSONHOOD THE ANSWER TO RESOLVE FROZEN PRE-EMBRYO DISPUTES? ERICA STEINMILLER-PERDOMO* I. INTRODUCTION............................. 315 II. CURRENT TREATMENT OF PRE-EMBRYOS.......................................... 318 A. First Impression for Treatment of Pre-Embryos....................... 319 B. Major Cases and Mixed Models.................................... 322 1. Enforcing Prior Agreements ................................. 323 2. Refusing to Enforce Agreements .............................. 324 C. State Legislation Concerning IVF .................................. 326 D. European Laws Governing IVF................................................................. 328 III. PROBLEMS WITH CURRENT TREATMENT OF PRE-EMBRYOS............................... 329 A. Lack of Uniformity of Model........................................ 330 B. Lack of Uniformity of Status ...................................... 332 IV. RESOLUTION ............................................................... 334 A. State's Authority to Regulate ...................................... 334 1. State May Regulate Due Process and Equal Protection Rights..... 334 2. State Has Compelling Interest at Viability ................................... 335 3. Pre-Embryo Protection Is Consistent with Other Fetal Protections .......................................... 337 B. Legislative Proposal and Implications ............................... 338 V. DEFENDING THE PROPOSITION. .............................................. 341 VI. CONCLUSION .............................................................. 343 1. INTRODUCTION Sofia Vergara and her ex-fianc6, Nick Loeb, created and stored several pre-embryos with the intention of using them to start a fami- ly together. Since then, the two have separated and now dispute the fate of the pre-embryos they created. Should the pre-embryos be con- sidered persons, property, or something else? Should they be afforded the right to life because one party wants them to develop or should they be discarded because one party no longer wants to procreate? Who should decide? The lack of regulation in the area of assisted re- productive technology leaves these sensitive disputes in the hands of courts and raises many questions. This Note will provide an answer. In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a process typically used by couples' trying to overcome infertility.2 The IVF process involves the fertiliza- * J.D. 2015, cum laude, Florida State University College of Law. I would like to thank my parents, Phil and Esperanza Steinmiller, for loving and supporting me; and Professor Mary Ziegler for challenging me to think about the legal implications of assisted reproductive technology and guiding me through the writing process. 1. The use of the term couples is not meant to create a distinction regarding sexual orientation or marital status of the parties. 2. Melissa Conrad Stoppler, In Vitro Fertilization, EMEDICINEHEALTH, http://www.emedicinehealth.com/in-vitro-fertilization/article-em.htm (last visited Feb. 27, 2016). Infertility is the inability of a couple to become pregnant after one year of unprotect- ed sex without using birth control methods. Id. Infertility affects nearly 6.1 million people

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Short-term subscription options include 24 hours, 48 hours, or 1 week to HeinOnline.

Purchase Access

Contact us for annual subscription options:

Contact Us

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most