With Roe in question, justices dig into private debate

By MARK SHERMAN and JESSICA GRESKO
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — After hours of public arguments, the Supreme Court’s justices will now embark on a private debate over what to do about possibly drastic abortion limits for pregnant women in the U.S. The justices will talk it over this week and hold a preliminary vote. But no final ruling is expected for months, probably next June. On Wednesday, the court’s six conservative justices indicated they will uphold a Mississippi law that bans abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy. And they also indicated they may go even further to overturn the nationwide Roe v. Wade right that has existed for nearly 50 years. Even upholding the restrictive Mississippi law would undermine Roe, with a number of other Republican-led states sure to follow.