Opinion striking down Roe v. Wade still the only draft at Supreme Court, still has 5 votes, Politico reports

Supreme Court
(Image credit: Jose Luis Magana/AFP/Getty Images)

Justice Samuel Alito's "sweeping and blunt draft majority opinion" striking down Roe v. Wade and the constitutional right to abortion remains the Supreme Court's "only circulated draft in the pending Mississippi abortion case," Politico reported Wednesday morning, "and none of the conservative justices who initially sided with Alito have to date switched their votes." Alito's leaked draft was written in February, but no dissenting draft opinions have circulated among the justices, stalling the normal give-and-take before opinions are settled, Politico says.

The nine justices will meet at the fenced-off Supreme Court on Thursday for the first time since Politico published Alito's draft, alerting Americans that the end of national abortion rights appears imminent, and "it's an understatement to say they are heavily, heavily burdened" by the internal leak and public response, a person close to the court's conservatives told Politico.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.