The following story was written by a student on the staff of The Jaguar Times as part of Hilliard Bradley High School’s Journalism Production course.
by Kate Hedrick (Opinion Editor)
and Jahari Henry (Staff Writer)
On May 3rd, 2022, a Supreme Court document was leaked by a currently unknown source. This document is a draft opinion indicating that Roe v. Wade, the historic Supreme Court decision made in 1973 which legalized abortion nationwide, will be overturned. While it is only a draft opinion, an official decision on the matter is expected in the coming weeks.
What is Roe v. Wade?
Roe v. Wade is a 50 year landmark Supreme Court case that ruled that the Constitution of the United States protects the liberty of a pregnant woman to choose to have an abortion with the ire of the state or federal government.
The ruling reversed many state bans on abortion that had previously been established. Today, many states have passed legislation restricting abortion after a certain window of time, such as the controversial heartbeat bill. However, because of Roe v. Wade, they have been unable to ban abortion entirely.
What would happen if it is overturned?
Roe v. Wade being overturned will not automatically ban abortion nationwide, but rather leave the decision up to individual states. Because of this, the effects will vary heavily depending on the state. Some states, such as Illinois, have already passed legislation that legalizes abortion statewide. Planned parenthood ( locations across Illinois expect to receive an influx of patients traveling from states that will ban abortion if the ruling is overturned.
How will the leak impact politics going forward?
The consequences that the leak will have on abortion rights in the country as well as the credibility of the Supreme Court. Hilliard Bradley government teacher Mrs. Rich says,
“I believe the leak will have two major impacts.” Rich says. She believes that it “will increase people’s perception of a political court, and decrease Americans’ trust in our highest court.” On the topic of abortion rights in this country, she said “If this opinion stands then Roe v. Wade will be overturned and it will go to the states to be interpreted.” She also went on to say “I don’t know how they [The Court] could become credible again. They have become more judicial activists and we see them as more political. Now they are viewed more as a policy branch than an interpreter of our Constitution.” There is no doubt that this leak will damage the reputation of the Supreme Court in the minds of many Americans.
As for the full impact of both the leak and the decision that will be made in the future, only time will tell.
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