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U.S. Supreme Court
Abortion, detainees' rights top concerns
Associated Press
Published August 4, 2005
WASHINGTON - Americans are almost as likely to consider the rights of detained terrorists an important issue for the Supreme Court as they are abortion, according to a poll taken after President Bush's nomination of John Roberts to serve on the Supreme Court.
Abortion is the most publicized issue in early debate about the Supreme Court opening, but public concerns about the high court extend beyond that issue.
Almost two-thirds, 63 percent, said Supreme Court decisions on abortion are very important, while 62 percent said high court decisions about detained terrorism suspects' rights are very important, according to the poll conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press.
Other findings of the center and the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life:
Almost two-thirds, 65 percent, are opposed to overturning Roe vs. Wade, but there also is public support for some restrictions on abortion. Almost three-quarters favor requiring women under age 18 to get parental consent for an abortion.
Just over half of those polled, 53 percent, said they support civil unions for gay people, while 36 percent said they favor gay marriage.
By almost 2-1, people think it's more important to conduct stem cell research that may result in medical cures than to avoid destroying potential life of embryos involved in such research.
A majority, 55 percent, said they consider court decisions about religious displays very important.
The error margin for the poll is plus or minus 2.5 percentage points, larger for subgroups.
[Last modified August 4, 2005, 01:06:05]
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