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Justice Breyer: A formidable defender of reproductive rights

SCOTUSBlog

In that case, Breyer led the majority in striking down a Nebraska criminal statute that made it unlawful to perform dilation-and-evacuation and similar abortion procedures even though the risks of mortality and morbidity to the pregnant person are significantly lower than induced-labor procedures. A close reading of Stenberg v.

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Stephen Breyer, pragmatic liberal, will retire at end of term

SCOTUSBlog

During a nearly 28-year career on the court, Breyer shunned rigid approaches to legal interpretation, often seeking functional rulings with an eye toward real-world consequences. Religion was another area in which Breyer, who is Jewish, sought to reach a solution that worked, even if it did not necessarily hew closely to legal orthodoxy.

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