‘Unprecedented’: 5 reactions to the leaked Supreme Court draft majority opinion overturning Roe v. Wade

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Tuesday, May 03, 2022

Pro-life and pro-choice demonstrators gather in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on May 3, 2022. | BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images

The United States Supreme Court is poised to overturn the controversial 1973 decision Roe v. Wade, according to a draft majority opinion leaked to Politico.

On Monday evening, Politico published a report noting that a draft opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito in February for the case Dobbs v. Jackson had the high court overturning Roe by a vote of 5-4.

Politico cautioned that the first draft does not mean the decision will be overturned, as justices are known to “change their votes as draft opinions circulate and major decisions can be subject to multiple drafts and vote-trading, sometimes until just days before a decision is unveiled.”

Pro-abortion and pro-life demonstrators gather outside of the U.S. Supreme Court on May 02, 2022, in Washington, D.C. In an initial draft majority opinion obtained by Politico, Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito allegedly wrote that the cases Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood of Southeastern v. Casey should be overruled. | Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Nevertheless, news of the possible overturning of Roe got widespread attention on social media and in the political realm, as many groups expressed their hopes or concerns over the leaked document.

Here are five reactions to the leaked U.S. Supreme Court’s majority opinion overturning Roe v. Wade. They include concerns raised by pro-choice groups and cautious optimism from pro-life groups that have long wanted states to regain control over their laws governing abortion.