Supreme Court to hear 19-year-old Pro-Life case

From the Baptist Press:

The high court’s decision to review lower-court action in the pro-life protest case gives it an opportunity to deal with a recalcitrant appeals court. In 2003, the justices decided in an 8-1 ruling that the Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) did not apply to protest activities at abortion clinics. The pro-life demonstrators did not commit extortion, the justices ruled, sending the case back to the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. The Seventh Circuit, however, ruled that a nationwide injunction against the protestors should remain in place under RICO.

The Supreme Court “has a critically important opportunity to remove a dark cloud that has been hanging over the pro-life movement for nearly 20 years,” the ACLJ’s Sekulow said in a written statement. “By taking this case now, we are hopeful the high court will move to vindicate these pro-life demonstrators once and for all.”

ACLJ represents Operation Rescue in the case. The twin cases, Operation Rescue v. National Organization for Women and Scheidler v. NOW, will be consolidated and argued before the high court after its new term begins in October.

The cases began in 1986 with suits by NOW.

They are primarily free-speech cases, and activists from across the political spectrum have sided with the pro-life demonstrators. Among those signing on to friend-of-the-court briefs supporting the pro-lifers were actor Martin Sheen, anti-war priest Daniel Berrigan and anti-death penalty activist Helen Prejean, as well as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

It's ironic that after all this time of clearly demonstrating that they are using the courts to intimidate those they disagree with, NOW has the unmitigated gall to refer to Pro-Lifers as “terrorists”. But it's good that others have recognized the bad precedent being set by allowing radical groups like NOW to abuse the law in such a way.

Posted by Danny Carlton at June 29, 2005 07:39 AM