In a security breach of the United States Supreme Court’s confidentiality, the news source Politico published a draft opinion of the Supreme Court’s plan to overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade case.

Roe v. Wade was born in 1973 after Jane Roe filed a lawsuit on behalf of herself and the population of Texas to challenge the state’s strict abortion laws. The Supreme Court voted in favor of the case, ruling that the United States Constitution must protect a pregnant woman’s right to have an abortion without unnecessary government involvement.

The decision was drafted by Justice Samuel Alito, who makes up the 6-3 conservative court majority. Alito, Justice Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, Amy Coney Barrett, and Brett Kavanaugh voted to overturn the law. “Roe was egregiously wrong from the start,” Judge Alito stated in the ninety-eight-page document.

Chief Justice John Roberts confirmed that the document was real but emphasized that it was not the final Supreme Court decision. Roberts condemned the leaked document as “a singular and egregious betrayal of trust.”  He made it a point to note that the source of the leak would be thoroughly investigated.

Overturning Roe v. Wade would not federally criminalize abortion; however, it would shift the power to each state to decide whether or not the procedure would be legal. Over twenty states are expected to ban or limit the availability of abortion procedures if overturned.

President Joe Biden weighed in on the issue, saying, “I believe that a woman’s right to choose is fundamental; Roe has been the law of the land for almost fifty years, and basic fairness and the stability of our law demand that it not be overturned.”

Both Democrats and Republicans were outraged with news of the court’s decision, gathering outside the Supreme Court to protest against Congress. A poll conducted in November 2021 suggested that most Americans favored keeping Roe v. Wade in place, making abortion legal in most cases.

Overturning Roe v. Wade does not simply affect abortions but the overall reproductive rights of all women in the United States. Without abortion rights, women face limited access to birth control, emergency contraception, and other fertility treatments.

While the ruling is not set in stone, the Supreme Court is expected to make its final ruling sometime in June or July. As for now, every American should consider the adverse implications of such a significant decision.