Discussion: SCOTUS Rules 5-3 In Favor Of Abortion Rights In Major Texas Case

[coffee]

WaPo and NYT don’t have that yet either.

[sedonaz]

@schmed

I know that I can find this info anywhere, but would it be too much to ask TPM to tell us which justice voted on which side? Is this a site dedicated to journalism or not?

On the wrong side were the usual suspects: Thomas, Alito, Roberts. C’mon Roberts, remember about “balls and strikes?”

[captaincommonsense]

From the story:

"We conclude that neither of these provisions offers medical benefits sufficient to justify the burdens upon access that each imposes," Breyer wrote. He said that the restrictions placed “a substantial obstacle in the path of women seeking a previability abortion,” amounted to an undue burden on abortion access," and were violations of the U.S. Constitution. He was joined by Justices Anthony Kennedy, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan.

Note particularly the last sentence.

[charliee]

It was updated within the last three minutes to reflect the votes.

[cmj]

They definitely just added the ruling.

[yail_bloor]

Zombie Scalia would have been a fourth vote. Only two new GOPer nominees would have resulted in an opposite ruling. Sobering thought.

[inversion]

Breyer, Ginsburg, Kennedy, Sotomayor, and Kagan were on the winning side.

Breyer wrote one of two opinions for this case. Ginsburg wrote the second and concurring one.

Thomas, Alito and Roberts were on the losing side.

Thomas wrote one of the opinions, but Alito’s opinion was joined by him and the Chief Justice.

The Supreme Court just put the opinion out and its a read that I have no interest for, short of the ‘credits’.

[sedonaz]

@charliee

Republicans tell us that when it comes to the Second Amendment, any restrictions are a burden. Why should it be any

Yeah, I mentioned that last week, that the NRA and anti-abortion crowd have very different views on what constitutes acceptable restrictions on constitutional rights.

[coffee]

@sedonaz

Yeah, I mentioned that last week, that the NRA and anti-abortion crowd have very different views on what constitutes acceptable restrictions on constitutional rights.

Which is weird, since some of them are the very same people.

[antisachetdethe]

@austin_dave

But since the ruling, haven’t many the clinics closed or moved? Was the intended effect of the legislation to hamstring the clinics long enough to drive them out of business, regardless of the outcome later? I don’t know, I’m just asking.

Over half of the clinics in Texas have closed due to the Fifth Circuit ruling. The Fifth wouldn’t stay their decision pending appeal.

ETA: One third of clinics closed, not over half.

http://media.cmgdigital.com/shared/img/photos/2014/08/03/92/c8/web-080414-abortion-trial.jpg

[sysprog]

I know that these aholes will just keep bringing suits over and over again because…oh who the hell knows but…YOU GO LADIES!!! I get tired of giving the ‘credit’ for doing the right thing to the white males who ‘reluctantly’ cross over to ‘join’. Without our ‘girls’ this never would’ve passed.

[zd123]

Good to hear, but not surprised. It was incredibly transparent that the law was de facto abortion ban instead of the health protection they were claiming (this is Texas after all)–so much so that any rational judge could clearly see it. It is a crazy world that we live in that a) it made its way to the supreme court and b) 3 justices officially bought their argument (of course they knew what they were voting for, but conservative justices are NEVER judicial activists).

[srfromgr]

Phew…thank goodness for that! Thank you, Justice Kennedy. It couldn’t have been done without you. Thankfully, someone helped him find his thinking cap that Roberts, Alito and Thomas helped try to hide from him.

Now…what about those stupid rules on the size of hallways and stupid shit like that? Is there another case on the docket about that? Well…onto the next fight for women’s reproductive rights. I’m sure this is just one of many we will see.

Hillary 2016. I’m with her.

[azjude]

Well done!

The SCOTUS actually upheld woman’s constitutionally protected rights!!

Oh happy day!

[austin_dave]

Thanks. So the Unconstitutional law had a huge effect. Strategy noted, I’m sure. Re-opening those clinics will be far bigger chore than keeping them staffed and open would have been.

[losamigos]

“Yeah, but this decision doesn’t count since it is not a full nine-member court”
(you know we are going to hear that in 3-2-1…)

[dorkmeister]

I would say 0% for Scalia.

[antisachetdethe]

Austin Statesman has a good article up now.

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/supreme-court-ruling-on-texas-abortion-law-expecte/nrnj9/

[old_curmudgeon]

Thank [insert deity of your choice]!

For once, we had a court (well most of it) that saw what was intended by the law, and didn’t get distracted by the window-dressing.

[captaincommonsense]

@zd123

It is a crazy world that we live in that a) it made its way to the supreme court and b) 3 justices officially bought their argument

Every once in a while the Court will take a case that they know is complete bullshit just so they can issue an ass-spanker of a ruling and spell out their displeasure.