For the second time in two years, an abortion-related decision from the Supreme Court has appeared before its due date. Unlike the Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade, leaked by a person or persons still unknown, the latest case, about Idaho’s harsh abortion ban, got out by accident when someone at the court briefly posted the opinion on the court’s website. Eagle-eyed Bloomberg Law reporters noticed.
While the opinion isn’t official as of this writing, here are the major takeaways from the inadvertently shared Moyle v. United States.
kAm%96 42D6 9:?865 @? 2 4@?7=:4E 36EH66? x529@’D 32?[ H9:49 4C:>:?2=:K6D 23@CE:@? F?=6DD :E :D ?646DD2CJ E@ D2G6 E96 >@E96C’D =:76[ 2?5 2 7656C2= =2H 42==65 E96 t>6C86?4J |65:42= %C62E>6?E 2?5 p4E:G6 {23@C p4E] z?@H? 2D t|%p{p[ :E D2JD E92E 9@DA:E2=D E92E C646:G6 |65:42C6 5@==2CD >FDE AC@G:56 “DE23:=:K:?8” EC62E>6?E :? 42D6D @7 >65:42= 6>6C86?4J] %96 $FAC6>6 r@FCE 925 564:565 E@ 962C E96 42D6 @? 2? 6IA65:E65 32D:D[ 6G6? 367@C6 E96 =@H6C 4@FCED 925 E96 492?46 E@ 4@?D:56C 2== E96 56E2:=D]k^Am
kAm%96 5@4F>6?E >2<6D 4=62C E92E E96 4@FCE’D E9C66 >@C6 >@56C2E6 4@?D6CG2E:G6D — r9:67 yFDE:46 y@9? #@36CED 2?5 yFDE:46D p>J r@?6J q2CC6EE 2?5 qC6EE z2G2?2F89 — 2C6 D6E E@ C6G6CD6 4@FCD6 @? E92E 6IA65:E65 E:>6=:?6] %96J H@F=5 D6?5 E96 42D6 324< E@ E96 =@H6C 4@FCED[ G242E:?8 2 =@H6C 4@FCE @C56C E92E 925 3=@4<65 t|%p{p 7C@> @A6C2E:?8 :? x529@]k^Am
kAm%96 C6DF=E :D E92E[ :? E96 D9@CE E6C> 2E =62DE[ x529@ 6>6C86?4J C@@>D D9@F=5 36 23=6 E@ A6C7@C> 23@CE:@?D :? 42D6D H96C6 E96J 2C6 ?646DD2CJ ?@E @?=J E@ AC@E64E E96 >@E96C’D =:76[ 3FE 2=D@[ :? D@>6 42D6D[ E96 >@E96C’D 962=E9]k^Am
kAmyFDE:46D t=6?2 z282? 2?5 $@?:2 $@E@>2J@C AC@G:565 E96 EH@ G@E6D ?646DD2CJ 7@C E92E E@ 92AA6?] z282? HC@E6 2? @A:?:@? 7@C E96> 3@E9 2C8F:?8 E92E x529@’D 4=2:>D E@ 36 6I6>AE 7C@> t|%p{p H6C6 HC@?8 2?5 ?6G6C 56D6CG65 6IA65:E65 4@?D:56C2E:@?]k^Am
kAmpC49\4@?D6CG2E:G6 ;FDE:46D r=2C6?46 %9@>2D 2?5 }6:= v@CDF49 ;@:?65 2? @A:?:@? 3J yFDE:46 $2>F6= p=:E@ DEC@?8=J 9:?E:?8 E92E E96 >@56C2E6 4@?D6CG2E:G6D 925 H:>A65 @FE 2?5 5:5 ?@E H2?E E@ 564:56 2? 23@CE:@? 42D6 367@C6 E96 AC6D:56?E:2= 6=64E:@?] %96 E9C66 2C49\4@?D6CG2E:G6D H@F=5 92G6 564:565 E96 42D6 :? x529@’D 72G@C]k^Am
kAmuC@> E96 @E96C D:56[ yFDE:46 z6E2?;: qC@H? y24<D@? HC@E6 E92E E96 4@FCE D9@F=5 92G6 564:565 E96 42D6 ?@H[ 3FE :? 72G@C @7 E96 7656C2= 8@G6C?>6?E — 2? 2C8F>6?E E92E D@F?5D 8C62E[ 3FE D66>D ?@E E@ 92G6 366? 2? @AE:@? 8:G6? E96 ;FDE:46D’ G@E6D]k^Am
kAmq2CC6EE[ H9@ :D 6>6C8:?8 E9:D E6C> 2D 2 A@H6C7F= >@56C2E6\4@?D6CG2E:G6 7:8FC6 @? E96 4@FCE[ HC@E6 E96 D9@CE @A:?:@? 6IA=2:?:?8 H9J D96[ #@36CED 2?5 z2G2?2F89 925 492?865 E96:C >:?5D 23@FE E2<:?8 E96 42D6 @? 2? 6IA65:E65 32D:D] x? 6DD6?46[ D96 D2:5 E92E 2E @C2= 2C8F>6?E :? E96 $FAC6>6 r@FCE[ E96 EH@ D:56D 925 32D:42==J 4@?G6C865 @? 2 H2J @7 :?E6CAC6E:?8 7656C2= 2?5 DE2E6 =2H D@ E92E E96J H@F=5 ?@E 36 W2D >F49X :? 4@?7=:4E] kDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qmx529@’D =2HJ6C E@=5 E96 ;FDE:46D E92E E96 DE2E6 32? H@F=5?’E 32C 23@CE:@?D 7@C 6>6C86?4J 4@?5:E:@?D =:<6 AC664=2>AD:2 2?5 A=246?E2= 23CFAE:@?[ EH@ D:EF2E:@?D 2E E96 4@C6 @7 E96 8@G6C?>6?E’D H@CC:6D] %96 7656C2= 8@G6C?>6?E 4=2C:7:65 E92E t|%p{p H@F=5 ?@E C6BF:C6 2 9@DA:E2= E@ A6C7@C> 23@CE:@?D 7@C >6?E2= 962=E9 C62D@?D — @?6 @7 x529@’D >2;@C H@CC:6D]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmq2CC6EE 4@?4=F565 E92E H9:=6 7656C2= 2?5 DE2E6 =2H 5:776C[ E96J >2J ?@E 24EF2==J 36 :? 4@?7=:4E[ 2?5 E96C67@C6 E96 42D6 5:5 ?@E 56D6CG6 E96 <:?5 @7 6>6C86?4J EC62E>6?E E96 $FAC6>6 r@FCE 925 564:565 E@ 8:G6 :E] kDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qm$96 =67E @A6? E96 A@DD:3:=:EJ @7 C6G:D:E:?8 E96 A@E6?E:2= 4@?7=:4E 36EH66? E96 =2HD[ 6DA64:2==J C682C5:?8 E96 BF6DE:@? @7 H96E96C 2 7656C2= =2H 4@F=5 C6BF:C6 G:@=2E:@? @7 2 DE2E6 =2H]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qmp=:E@ 2?5 y24<D@? >256 DEC2?86 36576==@HD :? 28C66:?8 E92E 7656C2= 2?5 DE2E6 =2H 24EF2==J 2C6 :? 4@?7=:4E 2?5 E92E E96 4@FCE D9@F=5 92G6 C6D@=G65 E92E 4@?7=:4E] (92E E96J 925 :? 4@>>@? H2D E92E ?6:E96C H2D 8@:?8 E@ 86E E96 C6D@=FE:@? E96J H2?E65 @FE @7 E96 >@56C2E6 4@?D6CG2E:G6D[ 2E =62DE 2E AC6D6?E]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qm(92E 92AA6?D ?@H :D E92E x529@ 2?5 E96 7656C2= 8@G6C?>6?E 42? 92G6 E9:D 7:89E :? E96 =@H6C 4@FCED]k^DA2?m q2CC6EE’D @A:?:@? :D 2 DEC@?8 D:8?2= E@ E96 =@H6C 4@FCED E92E E96 $FAC6>6 r@FCE H@?’E 36 3FJ:?8 E96 2C8F>6?E E92E E96C6 :D 2 4@?7=:4E 36EH66? t|%p{p 2?5 2? 23@CE:@? 32? H:E9 2? 6I46AE:@? 7@C E96 >@E96C’D =:76j 3FE E96 =:E:82?ED 42? DE:== ECJ] kDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>QmW}@E23=J[ 2 D:>:=2C =2HDF:E 92D 6>6C865 @FE :? %6I2D 2?5 E96 u:7E9 &$ r:C4F:E r@FCE @7 pAA62=D D:565 H:E9 E96 DE2E6]Xk^DA2?mk^Am
kAm~? :ED @H?[ E96 @FE4@>6 :D @?=J 2 G6CJ D>2== 2?5 A6C92AD E6>A@C2CJ H:? 7@C 23@CE:@? C:89ED 25G@42E6D] kDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>QmpE =62DE x529@ 42?’E 86E 2?@E96C 6>6C86?4J @C56C 3=@4<:?8 E96 7656C2= =2H 7C@> 2AA=J:?8 H9:=6 :ED =2HDF:E AC@4665D]k^DA2?m qFE s@33D C6>2:?D :? A=246[ 2D 5@ E96 6IEC6>6 DE2E6 23@CE:@? 32?D E92E s@33D C6?56C65 =2H7F=]k^Am
kAm*6E 2E E96 D2>6 E:>6[ 2D p=:E@’D 7CFDEC2E:@? D9@HD[ E96 564:D:@? >2C<D 2 >62?:?87F= C64@8?:E:@? 3J E96 >@56C2E6 4@?D6CG2E:G6D E92E E96J 2C6 ?@E @? 2 4CFD256 E@ H:A6 @FE 23@CE:@? 6G6CJH96C6 :? E96 4@F?ECJ] kDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qmx? E9:D H2J[ E96 564:D:@? 649@6D E96 4@FCE’D >:76AC:DE@?6 564:D:@? — 2?5 H:E9 2 D:>:=2C[ 2=E9@F89 ?@E :56?E:42=[ =:?6FA @7 G@E6D]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAm%96 4@?D6CG2E:G6 ;F5:4:2= C6G@=FE:@? :D 96C6 E@ DE2J] qFE E96 4@?D6CG2E:G6 C6G@=FE:@? 2E E96 $FAC6>6 r@FCE :D?’E 82E96C:?8 DE62> 2?J>@C6[ 2E =62DE ?@E H96? :E 4@>6D E@ 23@CE:@?] kDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qmp?5 2E =62DE ?@E :? 2 AC6D:56?E:2= 6=64E:@? J62C]k^DA2?mk^Am