The U.S. Supreme Court voted to overturn the landmark abortion rights case ruling Roe v. Wade, according to a leaked opinion draft obtained by Politico.

Abortion opponents and supporters hold signs in front of the U.S. Supreme Court on June 25, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Zach Gibson/Getty Images)

The outlet reported that a copy of the opinion from Justice Samuel Alito reveals an “unflinching repudiation” of the 1973 ruling that granted women the right to terminate a pregnancy, as well as Planned Parenthood v. Casey, a 1992 case that upheld Roe v. Wade.

“We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled,” Justice Alito wrote, according to the document that has been reviewed by former Supreme Court clerks who told MSNBC that the draft appears to be authentic. “It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people’s elected representatives.”

Politico reported that it received a copy of the draft opinion from “a person familiar with the court’s proceedings” in the Mississippi case that is not expected to come down from the high court until June. The outlet also reported that it received “other details supporting the authenticity of the document.”

While it has not been confirmed, this leak may mark the first time a Supreme Court opinion has been disclosed before a ruling has been announced.

In the opinion draft, Justice Alito compared the issue of abortion to racial discrimination. Roe v. Wade, the conservative opinion noted, is parallel to Plessy v. Ferguson, the 1896 case that upheld racial segregation in the United States and created the “separate but equal” doctrine. That ruling remained law until it was overturned by the landmark case Brown v. Board of Education.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who was quoted by Alito in his opinion, said that Plessy v. Ferguson “was ‘egregiously wrong’ on the day it was decided.”

This is a breaking news story and is still developing.

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