Justice Alito cancels conference appearance following Roe v. Wade opinion leak

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Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito has canceled an appearance at the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals' judicial conference following the abortion draft opinion leak, according to Reuters.

Alito was scheduled to attend the conference starting on Thursday, along with New Orleans-based federal appeal judges and district court judges from Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters. Alito is currently the justice assigned to hear emergency appeals for the 5th Circuit.

Spokesperson Patricia McCabe did not specify why the justice had canceled. 

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Alito's cancellation comes after his opinion draft to overturn Roe v. Wade was leaked Monday. Politico obtained an early draft of the opinion in February, in which Alito wrote, "We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled." 

The document titled "Opinion of the Court" for the case Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization was later confirmed by Chief Justice John Roberts Tuesday. 

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito is seen during a group portrait session for court in Washington, Nov. 30, 2018. (Reuters/Jim Young)

Roberts condemned the leak while also stating a final opinion on the matter has not yet been issued. The chief justice also stated he has called upon the Marshal of the Court to investigate the source of the leak, per his own statement. 

Left-wing activist groups are now organizing protests outside the homes of Alito, Roberts and Justices Amy Coney Barrett, Clarence Thomas, Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch. Protesters are using the moniker "Ruth Sent Us" and are expected to protest on May 11. Fox News was notified of police presence at the justices' homes. 

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Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, introduced a bill calling for additional security measures to be stationed at the justices' homes as a result of the leak. 

The bill, titled "Supreme Court Police Parity Act," was introduced Wednesday night, Cornyn said during a Senate Judiciary Committee meeting Thursday morning. 

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"We must act to ensure Justices and their families are protected from those who wish to cause them harm by extending Supreme Court police security to family members," Cornyn said in a statement.

Fox News reached out to the Supreme Court regarding Alito's conference cancellation but did not immediately hear back.