It happened.
The U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wadethe landmark 1973 decision that legalized abortion nationwide.
Mark Sherman of the Associated Press reported:
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Supreme Court ended constitutional abortion protections that had been in place for nearly 50 years in a decision by his conservative majority to overturn Roe vs. Wade. Friday’s result is expected to lead to abortion bans in about half of the states.
The decision, unthinkable just a few years ago, was the culmination of decades of effort by abortion opponents, made possible by an emboldened right side of the court that was bolstered by three appointees from the former President Donald Trump.
The decision came more than a month after the stunning leaked draft notice by Judge Samuel Alito indicating that the court was ready to take this momentous step.
Read the full review in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.
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I haven’t always paid particular attention to the Supreme Court. But lately I do.
On days when the country’s high court publishes new opinions, I swear to refresh myself – again and again – Judges home page.
The court’s five biggest religion cases in 2022 piqued my interest. The Dobbs decision, highlighted above, did not relate specifically to religion. But religious voices on both sides are an integral part of the debate.
Here is where the other four cases of religion stand:
• Ramirez v. Collier: Judges “ruled 8-1 in favor of death row inmate seeking to hear vocal prayers and feel the touch of his pastor as he dies. The ruling makes it clear that religious freedom protections for prisoners extend to the execution chamber,” said the Desert News’ Kelsey Dallas reported in March.
In a surprise twist, a prosecutor later asked to withdraw the death warrant of John Henry Ramirez, as the New York Times’ explains Ruth Graham. But a Texas judge this week denied the request, according to the Associated Press’ Juan A. Lozano. For now, Ramirez’s execution remains set for October 5.
• Shurtleff v. City of Boston: The court unanimously ruled that “the City of Boston violated the Constitution by denying a request to display a Christian flag on one of the three flagpoles in front of City Hall. Because the city’s program that allowed other private groups to raise and fly their own flags was not a talk of the city, the court said, the city could not withhold permission to do so. fly a particular flag because of the opinions it expressed”, The SCOTUS Blog Amy Howe reported in May.
