John Roberts: Supreme Court draft leak 'absolutely appalling'

The Supreme Court's final decision will not be affected by leaks, the chief justice says.

Chief Justice John Roberts called the leak of a drafted court opinion overturning Roe v. Wade "absolutely appalling" in a talk Thursday. The justice went on to dismiss any question that the leak would affect the Supreme Court's final decision.

"A leak of this stature is absolutely appalling," Roberts said. "If the person behind it thinks that it will affect our work, that’s just foolish."

The chief justice made the remarks during his first public post-leak appearance. Roberts was speaking in Atlanta at an annual meeting of lawyers and judges from the federal 11th Circuit, which includes Florida, Georgia, and Alabama.

Roberts confirmed Tuesday that Justice Samuel Alito's draft opinion in the case Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization was genuine – although the draft dates back to February, and it does not represent the current or final opinion of the court. 

In the draft, Alito strikes down Roe v. Wade, which struck down state laws across the country, and allows states to again make their own laws on abortion.