A majority of registered voters think it’s inappropriate to protest outside the homes of Supreme Court justices.

A new Fox News survey finds 55% say the protests are inappropriate, including majorities of Republicans (70%) and independents (62%).  Democrats see it the other way, with a majority of 58% saying it’s okay.

Overall, 37% think the protests are appropriate.

Protests outside homes of SCOTUS Justices

Opinion Poll conducted June 10-13, 2022 (Fox News)

The poll was conducted June 10-13, shortly before news broke that a California man was indicted on federal charges of attempting to murder Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

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As the country awaits the high court’s ruling on a case that could strike down the landmark Roe v. Wade decision, the poll finds, for the first time, more voters unhappy with the job the Supreme Court is doing: 39% approve vs. 48% disapprove. Fourteen percent are unsure.

That’s a reversal from two years ago when 54% approved and 31% disapproved in July 2020 – and prior to Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett confirmation, which created the current 6-3 conservative majority. 

Supreme Court Job Performance

Opinion Poll conducted June 10-13, 2022 (Fox News)

At least half of Democrats (50%) and Republicans (62%) approved of the job the court was doing two summers ago, but that’s not the case now: approval among Democrats is down 16 percentage points to 34%, and down 14 points among GOPers to 48%.

In 2020, independents were at 42% approve, 37% disapprove, and 21% unsure of the Supreme Court.  They are surer now: 3 in 10 approve (29%) while over half disapprove (53%).

"Views of the Supreme Court are usually less colored by partisan passions that are usually seen toward other institutions," says Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who conducts the Fox News Poll with Democrat Chris Anderson. "The Dobbs case has polarized attitudes towards the Court, however, which is something that probably keeps the Chief Justice up at night. It will be interesting to see how the decision actually turns out."

Voters are more likely to see the court as "too conservative" (34%) than "too liberal" (25%) in its decisions, with 32% saying the court is "about right."  This is the highest "too conservative" and the lowest "about right" number recorded in Fox News surveys going back 20 years.

In general, supreme court decisions are

Opinion Poll conducted June 10-13, 2022 (Fox News)

Two months ago, shortly before the leak of a draft majority opinion showing the Supreme Court may be poised to strike down Roe, views on abortion leaned to the right. Forty-four percent said it should be legal all (27%) or most of the time (17%) compared to 54% saying illegal all (11%) or most of the time (except in certain circumstances) (43%).

PELOSI PRESSED ON WHETHER DEM RHETORIC FUELING VIOLENCE AGAINST CHURCHES, PRO-LIFE CLINICS

The new poll shows opinion has shifted and leans left: 51% think abortion should be legal all (31%) or most of the time (20%), while 47% think it should be illegal all (9%) or most of the time (except in certain circumstances) (38%).

Abortion should be

Opinion Poll conducted June 10-13, 2022 (Fox News)

Views on Roe itself have held mostly steady since 2018, when Fox first asked the question. On average, more than 60% (between 57% and 65%) say the case should remain the law of the land.  Thirty percent think the case should be overturned, up from 27% in early May.

As the midterms approach, 10% say abortion will be the most important issue to their vote, placing it in third.  Inflation, is by far the top issue at 41%, followed by guns at 12 percent.

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And by an 8-point margin, voters trust Democrats over Republicans to handle the abortion issue.

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Conducted June 10-13, 2022 under the joint direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News Poll includes interviews with 1,002 registered voters nationwide who were randomly selected from a national voter file and spoke with live interviewers on both landlines and cellphones. The total sample has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points.