By Paulina Buelna
WASHINGTON DC – After news that the U.S. Supreme Court is about to overturn the Roe v. Wade pro-abortion precedent, it’s been noted that last September, about 100 formally elected prosecutors and law enforcement leaders filed an amicus brief in the court in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.
In the Case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the Supreme Court will consider Mississippi’s draconian pre-viability abortion ban that outlaws abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy.
If Mississippi is able to continue their abortion ban laws they would essentially be overturning Roe v. Wade, observers on both sides of the debate claim.
Within this brief, several former state attorneys general, federal and state court judges, U.S. Attorneys, and Department of Justice officials urged the court not to undermine Roe v. Wade and respect the 50 years of precedent.
They encouraged the Supreme Court to consider the consequences if the case is overturned and how it would “erode public trust, undermine the legitimacy and efficacy of law enforcement and prosecutorial officials, and divert limited criminal justice resources that could otherwise be used to…promote public safety.”
Several of the signors have had a lot to say including Durham County, N.C., District Attorney Satana Deberry, who said, “Women and medical professionals should not be put in the unthinkable position of facing criminal prosecution for exercising personal and essential healthcare choices,”
The brief also stresses that “overturning Roe will undoubtedly cause terrible harm to women and children,” noting abortion restrictions and criminalization do not accomplish their intent to end abortion but rather “relegate it to less safe and unsupervised settings” and deter women from seeking needed medical care and sharing information with medical providers.
They add that the majority of women who seek abortions are already mothers and are more likely to be victims of domestic violence.
Jim Bueermann, former Chief of Police in Redlands, Calif., and former President of the National Police Foundation, argued, “At a time when we should be invested in building trust with the communities we serve, ending the right to safe and legal abortion would compromise faith in law enforcement and the entire justice system.”
The officials note abortion has been legal in the U.S. since 1973 and has helped many women determine what they want to do with their bodies and lives. They add, if the precedent is overturned, women will be subjected to the consequences.
