US Supreme Court accidentally releases major information on abortion ruling in Idaho

The opinion seems to have been leaked by mistake. However, it appears to show that the justices would side with the Joe Biden administration on whether or not to make abortions compulsory in case there is a medical emergency. Lawmakers in Idaho would be at a disadvantage as they have implemented harsh bans on abortion.

What does the published opinion say?

The published opinion shows that the supreme court would reject Idaho’s challenge citing that abortions should be “improvidently granted” during emergencies, Bloomberg Law reported. However, the opinion is not a definite indication of what the court’s actual ruling will be.

The opinion was quickly taken off the internet. However, a Supreme Court spokeswoman, Patricia McCabe, confirmed that it had been made public briefly. She added that the “opinion” in this case “has not been released” and would be “issued in due course.”

“The Court’s Publications Unit inadvertently and briefly uploaded a document to the Court’s website. The Court’s opinion in Moyle v. United States and Idaho v. United States will be issued in due course,” McCabe said.

Reportedly, the ruling is 6-3 in favour of the incumbent. It was opposed by right-wing justices Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch and Samuel Alito.

Idaho’s Defense of Life Act prohibits almost all abortions, except reported cases of rape or incest or when “necessary to prevent the death of the pregnant woman.” The act took effect in August 2022.

The state was later sued by the Biden administration, which said the law conflicts with the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) of 1986. This law demands that all emergency room physicians at hospitals that receive Medicare funds offer “stabilizing treatment” to patients whose health is at stake.