Monday’s ruling by the Supreme Court in Dobbs, v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, was not issued. This prolongs for at least one week the waiting period for its opinion. It is expected that it will overturn the right to abortion.
Politico published a draft opinion last month that suggested the Supreme Court was set to repeal Roe v. Wade. This 1973 case established a federal right to an abortion.
Dobbs wasn’t among the cases that were released Monday by the justices. The court’s current term is now just over a month. Dobbs will be ruled in late June or early July.
Monday’s court rulings were in three cases. The court ruled Monday in three cases. One was a bankruptcy case involving Circuit City’s trustee, the other was a Florida-based Medicaid case and the third was a labor dispute involving Southwest Airlines. A worker wanted to sue Southwest Airlines for allegedly not paying overtime wages and instead of going to arbitration.
The Dobbs case results from a dispute about a Mississippi law that bans abortion after 15 weeks. The case was heard in December and is seen as the most important test for the new 6-3 Republican-appointed court majority – which will be capped by the confirmation of Justice Amy Coney Barrett in 2020 – on how they will handle controversial issues.
The Supreme Court is continuing to resolve Dobbs and other cases before the summer recess. Court officials are currently investigating who leaked the draft opinion.
“To the extent that this betrayal by the Court of the confidences was intended to undermine our operations’ integrity, it will fail.” Chief Justice John Roberts stated in a statement in May that the Court’s work would not be affected.
He said, “This was an extraordinary and egregious violation of that trust that is an affront to both the Court and the community that works here of public servants,” he continued. “I have instructed the Marshal to the Court to investigate the source of this leak.”
According to Fox News, the probe has intensified over recent days. A source who is familiar with the matter confirmed this to Fox News last week. Officials were in the process of asking law clerks to turn over personal cellphone records and to sign affidavits. The exact scope and extent of the information sought by the clerks were not clear. It is also unclear whether compliance has been achieved, or whether certain clerks will refuse to comply and seek legal representation.
