U.S. Supreme Court Nominee Samuel A. Alito and the Abortion Opinions of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit

Publication Date: December 2005

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

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Research Area: Law and ethics

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Abstract:

On October 31, 2005, Judge Samuel A. Alito was nominated by President George W. Bush to replace retiring Associate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. During his tenure with the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, the court considered a number of abortion cases, including Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey, a case that was later heard by the U.S. Supreme Court. This report reviews the Third Circuit's notable abortion opinions during Judge Alito's tenure and examines his concurring and dissenting opinions in some of those cases.