I'm saying there's a difference between respecting a precedent, and the fact that a fed appeals judge has to rule in accordance with past SC rulings, there is no leeway for directly contradicting a SC ruling. When Alito overturned the law banning late-term abortions, he did so because the SC has previously ruled that an exception had to be made for the mother's life. He didn't really have an slack there, but as a SC he could overturn that ruling.
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