In the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health, the U.S Supreme Court’s majority found the United States’ Constitution would not address the right of a woman elected for an abortion of a not-yet-viable unborn child. The issue was thus returned to the discretion of each state, opening a wide array of unexplored options for individual state political processes.
In Alabama, several organizations and individuals are actively working to aid women’s access to legal, out-of-state abortions. Their motivation came as fears of potential prosecution increased due to threats by Alabama’s attorney general, Steve Marshall. As Marshall has thrown the possibility of prosecuting such actions which, if done within Alabama, could be considered legal. This scenario has undoubtedly stressed the particularly sensitive subject within New Jersey, a jurisdiction where abortions can legally be procured. Thus, the act of assisting travel or actual traveling from Alabama to New Jersey for an abortion could potentially be subject to criminal charges within the home state of Alabama.
The constitutional right to interstate travel, as explained by Justice Brett Kavanaugh in Dobbs, negates any notion of barring a state resident from travelling to another for an abortion. This right remains clear cut and above any ambiguity, Kavanaugh assures.
Interested readers can delve deeper into the intricacies of the heated legal challenge surrounding the Alabama abortion law and its potential impact on New Jersey here.