The police department in West Caldwell is urging people to stop sending harassing packages to the former home of Samuel A. Alito Jr. in town, saying the current homeowner has nothing to do with the U.S. Supreme Court justice.
Alito is the author of the leaked draft opinion that became official Friday in overturning the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide. He grew up in Hamilton outside Trenton and raised his family in West Caldwell, but moved from the Garden State in 2007 after he was confirmed to the high court.
“Erroneous information was circulating on the internet that indicated that Justice Alito still resides in West Caldwell, and individuals have been sending harassing packages to the current resident,” the department said in a statement.
Police said they have responded to multiple calls at the house and said the current homeowner has no affiliation with Justice Alito and “deserves to live in peace in their home free from harassment, regardless of anyone’s political beliefs.”
The department said anyone identified sending threatening mail or packages to the home will be investigated and charged.
Alito wrote that the the Supreme Court was wrong in 1973 to confer a right to abortion because the Constitution did not mention it, nor did Roe acknowledge historical precedent. “For the first 185 years after the adoption of the Constitution, each State was permitted to address this issue in accordance with the views of its citizens,” he wrote in the decision.
Friday’s decision gave states sole authority to determine if and when abortion is legal and has sparked debate and protests across New Jersey and the country.
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Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com.
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