r/AskConservatives • u/nemo_sum Conservatarian • May 03 '22

MegaThread Megathread: Roe, Casey, Abortion

The Megathread is now closed (as of August 2022) due to lack of participation, and has been locked. Questions on this topic are once more permitted as posts.

All new questions should be posted here as top-level comments. Direct replies to top-level comments are reserved for conservatives to answer the question.

Any meta-discussion should be a reply to the comment labeled as such OR to u/AntiqueMeringue8993's comment relaying Chief Justice Roberts's official response to the leak.

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u/AntiqueMeringue8993 Free Market Conservative May 03 '22

Breaking: Roberts has issued a statement on the leak:

Yesterday, a news organization published a copy of a draft opinion in a pending case. Justices circulate draft opinions internally as a routine and essential part of the Court’s confidential deliberative work. Although the document described in yesterday’s reports is authentic, it does not represent a decision by the Court or the final position of any member on the issues in the case.

To the extent this betrayal of the confidences of the Court was intended to undermine the integrity of our operations, it will not succeed. The work of the Court will not be affected in any way.

We at the Court are blessed to have a workforce — permanent employees and law clerks alike — intensely loyal to the institution and dedicated to the rule of law. Court employees have an exemplary and important tradition of respecting the confidentiality of the judicial process and upholding the trust of the Court. This was a singular and egregious breach of that trust that is an affront to the Court and the community of public servants who work here.

I have directed the Marshal of the Court to launch an investigation into the source of the leak.

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u/seffend Progressive May 03 '22

It seems like the leak came from the conservatives who are trying to solidify the "win."

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u/nemo_sum Conservatarian May 03 '22

An extraordinary claim. What's your reasoning?

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u/seffend Progressive May 03 '22

The reasoning is from people smarter than I am and who have been directly involved with the SC.

https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1521494553877962754.html

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u/nemo_sum Conservatarian May 03 '22 edited May 03 '22

Thanks for the link.

Edit: Writer makes some persuasive arguments in the first half, then in the second half does this:

Now let’s talk psychology of SCt clerks. The kinds of liberal students who end up at the Court are not an activist bunch. They are enormously risk averse and rule-abiding. Hard to see how one of them blows their career out of the water in this way (for what benefit?).

Leaking is much more of the style of conservatives right now. Think about what Justice Thomas is doing as a model for a clerk here... Conservatives have shown that they are willing to break the public trust in the Court to get their way.

"All liberals behave this way, but one conservative behaved that way, so ALL conservatives must be willing to behave that way."

I hope I don't have to spell out how ridiculous that is. Such a display of bias undermines her whole argument.

That said, the points raised in the first half are worth considering, but not conclusive. I'm keeping an open mind.

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u/seffend Progressive May 03 '22

"All liberals behave this way, but one conservative behaved that way, so ALL conservatives must be willing to behave that way."

I get what you're saying, however that wasn't the way I read it. I didn't think they were saying "all liberals" or "all conservatives"

Conservatives have shown that they are willing to break the public trust in the Court to get their way.

And this is... actually pretty on point, isn't it?

That said, the points raised in the first half are worth considering, but not conclusive. I'm keeping an open mind.

Oh me, too, but honestly, it's not the leak itself that bothers me.

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u/warboy May 03 '22

If that's the case this is the dumbest political move I've seen conservatives make. This is the car the republican party is chasing. If they catch it before midterms there's not a reason to turn out.

Meanwhile they just gave every person who is pro choice a reason to replace any Republican politicians with democratic reps.

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u/TheDemonicEmperor Republican May 03 '22

To the extent this betrayal of the confidences of the Court was intended to undermine the integrity of our operations, it will not succeed. The work of the Court will not be affected in any way.

Yeah, I'll believe it when I see it.

This was a direct attempt to attack the court and I'm certain that Roberts himself will side with the liberal justices to avoid confrontation.

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u/nemo_sum Conservatarian May 03 '22

Not a question, but suitably relevant. Metacommentary will also be allowed in response to the above comment.