John Roberts just became the new favorite judge of liberals everywhere as he sided with the liberals on the court to block a Louisiana abortion law:
WASHINGTON TIMES – A divided Supreme Court stopped Louisiana from enforcing new regulations on abortion clinics in a test of the conservative court’s views on abortion rights.
The justices said by a 5-4 vote late Thursday that they will not allow the state to put into effect a law that requires abortion providers to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals.
Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. joined the court’s four liberals in putting a hold on the law, pending a full review of the case.
President Trump’s two Supreme Court appointees, Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett M. Kavanaugh, were among the four conservative members of the court who would have allowed the law to take effect.
Kavanaugh wrote a dissenting opinion in which he said the court’s action was premature because the state had made clear it would allow abortion providers an additional 45 days to obtain admitting privileges before it started enforcing the law.
If the doctors succeed, they can continue performing abortions, he said. If they fail, they could return to court, Kavanaugh said.
The law is very similar to a Texas measure the justices struck down three years ago. Roberts dissented in that case.
Does Roberts want to be the new swing vote? I don’t know the particulars, but the AP is suggesting that Roberts dissented three years ago but then switched his position this time? Is he trying to protect the court again like he did with Obamacare?
Mark Levin says Roberts is a disgrace:
John Roberts is a disgrace. Another in a long line of lawyers who deceived the Republican presidents who appointed them. https://t.co/HRZdx7193j
— Mark R. Levin (@marklevinshow) February 8, 2019
Of course liberals are loving him at the moment:
It's a very scary world when Chief Justice Roberts is holding the cards for liberal America. Today Roberts joined the Supreme Court's liberal minority in staying 5-4 a court order that would have closed the majority of Louisiana abortion clinics. #utpol pic.twitter.com/6eNB2hvyO3
— Jim Dabakis (@JimDabakis) February 8, 2019
John Roberts, sign of actual adherence to the law rather than an interpretation of the Bible (aka the word of some dudes), in the SCOTUS universe https://t.co/pbVAZQ0Vm7
— Natalie Finn (@natfinnonE) February 8, 2019
Thanks to CJ Roberts, a law making legal abortions nearly impossible to obtain in Louisiana will be blocked while the challenge to that law proceeds. Justice Kavanaugh lamented not having more information — but joined the three other dissenters anyway. https://t.co/ue1GkrMFeh
— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) February 8, 2019
https://twitter.com/jetpack/status/1093711174171017216
Still some are expressing caution:
Friends, John Roberts merely sided with us in saying the Louisiana anti-abortion law cannot take effect *right away*. We should not have confidence he will be with us in striking the law down for good. Putting our eggs in the Roberts basket for the next 30 years is not a strategy
— Brian Fallon (@brianefallon) February 8, 2019
The bottom line is that if RBG stays on the court despite her apparent health problems, then Trump needs to win again to ensure that another strong constitutionalist gets put on the court to override Robert’s vote. Because clearly he’s going to be the new swing vote and I expect he’s gonna swing hard to the lib side on this issue…