Chief justice condemns leak of Dobbs draft

Chief Justice John Roberts released a statement Tuesday confirming the authenticity of a draft majority opinion in an abortion case published by Politico on Monday night. The document indicated the U.S. Supreme Court is leaning toward overturning Roe v. Wade with its decision in the pending case Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. Roberts said the draft does not reflect a final decision and the leak was a malicious attempt to manipulate the court. He ordered the marshal of the court to launch an investigation.

Will this opinion stand? Justices can change their votes and opinions after a first majority draft is written, and the final ruling is not expected until the current term ends in late June or early July. On Tuesday, President Joe Biden insisted the law demands preserving Roe and called on Congress to enact pro-abortion laws in case the legal precedent is overturned. While leaks from the Supreme Court are extremely rare and unethical, attorneys note it is not a crime, so the source is likely to be disbarred and fired rather than imprisoned.

Dig deeper: Read Leah Savas’ report in Vitals about Oklahoma’s recent pro-life legislation.