The legal world is expressing shock after news leaked Monday night the Supreme Court has reportedly ruled to overturn Roe v. Wade.
SCOTUSblog, which covers the Supreme Court extremely closely, is outraged.
It’s impossible to overstate the earthquake this will cause inside the Court, in terms of the destruction of trust among the Justices and staff. This leak is the gravest, most unforgivable sin.
— SCOTUSblog (@SCOTUSblog) May 3, 2022
George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley is warning of the consequences and says it's one of the "greatest breaches in history."
...The article represents the greatest crisis that Chief Justice John Roberts has faced in his tenure on the Court. It is a breach of the most fundamental obligations and traditions of the Court.
— Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) May 3, 2022
...This draft is from February and the majority can shift on such opinions. However, the act of leaking such a draft opinion ranks as an original sin for judicial ethics.
— Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) May 3, 2022
...The most likely motivation is obviously to pressure the Court and push the legislation in Congress on a federal abortion law before the midterm elections. It will also likely renew the call for court packing.
— Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) May 3, 2022
Fox News anchor Shannon Bream, who has covered the Court for years, has never seen anything like it before.
Never seen anything even CLOSE to this in my 15 years covering #SCOTUS. Urge plenty of caution until an official opinion is eventually released. https://t.co/GZzSq0h3lZ
— Shannon Bream (@ShannonBream) May 3, 2022
The fallout over the leak is sure to continue.
The leak is inexcusable and threatens the Court’s functioning. The most plausible explanation is that it’s someone on the left engaged in civil disobedience—so yet again it’s those who bemoan the “loss of norms” who break them. Cf. court-packing, attacking legitimacy, etc.
— Ilya Shapiro (@ishapiro) May 3, 2022
I am stunned that this opinion has been leaked in what amounts to the most outrageous political attack on the Supreme Court in my lifetime.
— Rafael A. Mangual (@Rafa_Mangual) May 3, 2022
The pathetic spineless leak of a draft SCOTUS opinion has the feel of something a sad little woke 20-something-year-old would do. The kind of person who thinks their personal agenda is “more important.” Whoever did it should lose their law license.
— Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) May 3, 2022