Chief Justice Roberts warns Supreme Court over Texas abortion law

[Nevilledog]

Link to tweet

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/chief-justice-john-roberts-warns-supreme-court-over-texas-abortion-n1285747

WASHINGTON — The chief justice of the United States, John Roberts, warned Friday that the Supreme Court risks losing its own authority if it allows states to circumvent the courts as Texas did with its near-total abortion ban.

In a strongly worded opinion joined by the high court’s three liberal justices, Roberts wrote that the "clear purpose and actual effect" of the Texas law was "to nullify this Court’s rulings." That, he said, undermines the Constitution and the fundamental role of the Supreme Court and the court system as a whole.

The opinion was a remarkable plea by the chief justice to his colleagues on the court to resist the efforts by right-wing lawmakers to get around court decisions they dislike, in this case Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that made abortion legal in the United States, within limits. But in this case, his urgent request was largely ignored by the other justices on the court who were appointed by Republicans.

His point to them was that the court system should decide what the law is, and it should resist efforts like that of the Texas Legislature to get around the courts by limiting the ability of abortion providers to sue.

*snip*

[LonePirate]

1. What did he think was going to happen when he gutted the VRA?

He's been empowering Republicans for most of his time on the court. He does not have much foresight if he didn't think this wouldn't happen.

[uponit7771]

5. +1, isn't he the one who made the point that racism had subsided in part because America had a black

... president?

I think his skirt was showing on CU also, there have been way too many cases of dark money in politics and no one is enforcing the rules.

[UTUSN]

11. Wish k&r worked fof individual posts!

[2naSalit]

15. +1

[mountain grammy]

16. Exactly!

He's a stinking right wing asshole just like all of them..

[bucolic_frolic]

2. If he's decided to weigh in, he'd better get on the pedal

A low percent of Americans realize it, but the CJ oversees the judiciary. I'm thinking a major part of that is to make some attempt to have rulings jive. If he were to let that slide into overturning stare decisis it would be chaos, like Powell declaring banks are no good.

[Scrivener7]

3. Could it be dawning on him that his name will be on the list next to Taney's for eternity?

[empedocles]

6. Suspect that the 'ghost of taney' has haunted Roberts for awhile.

[Scrivener7]

8. I hope so.

[old guy]

10. That would be my guess.

He is getting very worried about what history is going to do to him.

[Baitball Blogger]

4. I hate these Republicans that try to cover their tracks by using strong words that they know won't

make a difference.

[BootinUp]

7. I keep hoping something happens to fix this

F’d up Supreme Court. Roberts could have turned out worse anyway.

[walkingman]

9. I keep hearing how SCOTUS is losing it's credibility but it keeps happening?

[C_U_L8R]

12. Roberts sees his place in history getting flushed down the Trump sewer.

Maybe he should be the one asking to expand the court.

[hay rick]

14. This

[Ruby the Liberal]

13. His legacy is going to be toast

All of these heinous decisions will be referenced by "The Roberts Court".

Maybe if he didn't decide to gut the VRA because 'racism is over', he wouldn't be sitting in the midst of batshit loony RWNJs.

So congrats, Justice Roberts.

[Lonestarblue]

17. The religious radicals on the SC just decided that they will ignore the Constitution and precedent.

They have the majority, and they plan to push their religious beliefs on the whole country. For those of us who do not share those beliefs, too bad. They have the power and we don’t. They seem determined to create a theocracy that the majority of the country would not support (or at least I hope that’s the case). We can already see the decline of freedoms in this country. The elevation of those who follow a radical Christian religion above all others means that we are moving inexorably toward total theocracy.

[dlk]

18. Republicans have broken the Supreme Court

And they are glad.

[BlueIdaho]

19. Defund the Supreme Court.

My new bumper sticker.

[Nasruddin]

21. Amen

Maybe it will dawn on people that having an unelected legislature with lifetime terms and no accountability is not a good idea.
Despite what James Madison & John Rawls might've thought about it.

[crickets]

26. 👆 Good one! nt

[Hekate]

20. KnR

[Hassler]

22. Me Balls and Strikes sees his legacy and doesn't like it.

[Mad_Machine76]

23. It's a bit late to worry about, your honor

Your court is about to start on a campaign of overturning all kinds of human rights decisions, and you're at a distinct disadvantage in terms of being able to do anything about it.

[dlk]

24. The right-wing, extremists on the court don't care

They are blinded by their zealotry.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

25. Is this "The Roberts Court" or "The Trump Court"

I don't think Roberts is the chief of anything.