(RepublicanInformer.com)- In the wake of the leaked Supreme Court draft majority opinion, the Department of Justice announced this week that it was increasing security detail for members of the high court.
The draft opinion suggests that the conservative-majority Supreme Court is likely to overturn the landmark 1970s Roe v. Wade decision, which would remove federal protections for a woman’s right to an abortion.
Ever since the leaked opinion was published, protesters around the country have been trying to convince the justices to change their mind ahead of the official ruling, which is expected to be handed down in a month or two.
Some of those protesters have gotten violent, and the federal government is worried about the violence becoming worse and specifically targeted to the justices and their families.
Merrick Garland, the attorney general, said that the U.S. Marshals Service would start to prove extra support to the Supreme Court’s police force. The DOJ didn’t announce any specific details about the additional security.
In a statement, Anthony Coley, a spokesman for the DOJ, said:
“Attorney General Garland continues to be briefed on security matters related to the Supreme Court and Supreme Court Justices. The attorney general directed the U.S. Marshals Service to help ensure the Justices’ safety by providing additional support to the Marshal of the Supreme Court and Supreme Court Police.”
Supporters of abortion rights have protested outside the homes of three of the Supreme Court’s conservative members since the draft majority opinion was leaked. Protesters have also gathered outside the Supreme Court building.
Apparently, the protesters are hoping that by putting pressure on the justices, they could change their mind ahead of the formal ruling. That’s because even though the majority draft opinion is being circulated, justices still have the right to change their mind for the official vote.
In the meantime, conservative Justice Clarence Thomas said the high court wouldn’t be “bullied.” In other words, the justices aren’t going to cave to the pressures of the public, no matter how loud the noise becomes. They are going to do their job and stick to the law.
Recent polling has shown that a majority of American voters support a woman’s right to get an abortion. Since the leaked draft opinion was published, support of the high court among Americans dropped to 50%, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll. That mark sat at 57% at the end of 2021.
The case in question deals with Mississippi’s restrictive abortion law. Should the Supreme Court justices find in favor of Mississippi in the case, they could completely overturn the Roe v. Wade decision from 1973 that established a federal right for a woman to get an abortion.
If that were to happen, the decision about the legality of abortions would be placed into the hands of individual states. It’s very likely that Republican-led states would put restrictions in place — if not ban abortions altogether — while Democrat-led states would look to make it legal and possibly even open access to residents and doctors of other states.
