Has the Leaked Roe Opinion Damaged the Supreme Court’s Legitimacy?

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KQED

News, Politics, News Commentary

4.2 • 726 Ratings

🗓️ 12 May 2022

⏱️ 48 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

According to a recent survey by Pew Research, the majority of Americans favor abortion rights. But in the leaked draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade, Justice Samuel A. Alito writes “We cannot allow our decisions to be affected by any extraneous influences such as concern about the public’s reaction to our work.” Public reaction, however, has been swift. Demonstrators decrying the opinion have gathered outside the Supreme Court, the homes of Supreme Court justices and in demonstrations across the country. In response to the draft opinion, some states have indicated they intend to introduce laws to ban and even criminalize abortion, while other states have begun drafting legislation to create safe havens for reproductive rights. Given the divide between the majority of the Court who voted in favor of this draft and the public’s support of abortion rights, has the Supreme Court lost its legitimacy as a branch of government that is blind to politics? We’ll talk to Slate’s Dahlia Lithwick about the future of the Court and what is at stake. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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1:00.9	From KQED.
1:00.9	From KQED in San Francisco, I'm Nina Kim.
1:16.7	It's been 10 days since the leak of a draft decision by Justice Samuel Alito that overturns Roe v.
1:22.9	Wade.
1:24.2	And since then, how many times have you heard that a clear majority of Americans support abortion rights, unlike a majority of the justices, which was affirmed again last week by a Pew survey?
1:35.3	Does the conflict between popular opinion and what the court decides affect your view of our nation's highest court?
1:42.3	We talked to Slate's Dahlia Lithwick about whether this or other recent events are causing the
1:47.7	court to lose the public's trust.
1:50.1	And we want to hear from you.
1:52.0	Do you have faith in the Supreme Court?
	...

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