Politico reports that the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) will overturn Roe V. Wade based on a leaked decision. The decision was apparently prepared by Justice Samuel Alito and he apparently has the support of at least four other justices. The leak has been described as “egregious” and “a sign of the highest magnitude” because the sanctity of the Court is taken very seriously. Political observers suggest that the leak was done to force the Justices to change their minds and/or to affect the outcome of the upcoming Midterm Elections. Civil unrest is another possible desired outcome of the leak. Protests have already sprung up in Washington DC on the steps of the Supreme Court building itself. Whatever the motive of the leak, it has created a shockwave throughout not only Capitol Hill, but the entire country.
Roe V. Wade is a landmark decision from January 1973 that ruled abortion is protected by the Constitution. This decision/opinion has been subject to heavy scrutiny ever since 1973 from various organizations all over the country. It has been challenged countless times in court as well. Contrary to popular belief, the decision does not actually legislate abortion, it is simply an interpretation of the Constitution. This interpretation can (and probably will, considering recent developments) change. The way things stand right now, if a person gets an abortion in a state where abortion is heavily restricted in a way that could be viewed as unconstitutional by the court, then they will probably win the court case. In other words, laws like Texas’ “Heartbeat Bill” may be unenforceable at the court level. If Roe V. Wade is overturned then each state will be able to make its own laws on abortion and there won’t be a court decision to block the enforcement of said laws.
SOURCES:
Leak: Supreme Court to Overrule Roe, Returns Abortion to Voters
Supreme Court has voted to overturn abortion rights, draft opinion shows – POLITICO
Leaked draft Supreme Court opinion would strike down Roe v. Wade – The Washington Post
Why “heartbeat bill” is a misleading name for Texas’ new abortion law | The Texas Tribune
Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Challenges to Texas Abortion Law | Commonwealth Fund
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