Garland’s order came after the leak of a draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade stoked fierce outrage from abortion-rights supporters.
The head of the Department of Justice on Wednesday directed the U.S. Marshals Service to “help ensure” the safety of Supreme Court justices after the leak of a draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade stoked fierce outrage from abortion-rights supporters. The draft, which showed the court poised to strike down the legal protections for abortion that had stood for nearly 50 years, spurred activists to protest at the Supreme Court building — and outside some of the conservative justices’ homes. Attorney General Merrick Garland “continues to be briefed on security matters related to the Supreme Court and Supreme Court Justices”, the Justice Department said in a statement. Garland, himself a former Supreme Court nominee, “directed the U.S. Marshals Service to help ensure the Justices’ safety by providing additional support to the Marshal of the Supreme Court and Supreme Court Police”, the DOJ said.
