With divisive cases coming, Barrett says ‘Read the opinion’

By MICHAEL R. BLOOD
Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett says judges are not deciding cases to impose a “policy result,” but are making their best effort to determine what the law and the Constitution require. In remarks at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, Barrett appeared to acknowledge that expected court decisions on abortion and gun control would be seen through a political lens and lead to division. She urged Americans to “read the opinion” and consider the court’s reasoning before making judgments. The program was briefly interrupted by a heckler. Barrett said afterward, “As a mother of seven, I am used to distractions.”