Politics
Thursday December 5, 2002
SUPREME COURT JUSTICES QUESTION FREEDOM OF SPEECH ISSUES IN RICO CASE
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WASHINGTON, December 5, 2002 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments yesterday in Scheidler v. NOW, the infamous case involving the misapplication of racketeering laws to silence anti-abortion protests. Law professors and a host of activist groups have agreed that the verdict of the case has implications not only for pro-life groups but for all who wish to exercise their right of free speech in peaceful protest.
During the deliberation, both Justices Scalia and Breyer questioned whether civil-rights demonstrators would not have faced the same fate as pro-life protestors for their actions in fighting racism.
Family Research Council President Ken Connor said the case is about abortion advocates attempting to silence their opposition. "Acts of violence directed at abortion clinics, abortionists or women seeking abortions are wrong and already against the law and should be prosecuted without recourse to RICO. What NOW and other pro-abortion groups intend is to threaten pro-lifers with financial ruin in order to silence debate."
Interestingly, NOW, the National Organization for Women, marked the occasion of the hearing by planning a demonstration outside the court building on Capitol Hill. "The irony is that NOW exercised the very rights it is seeking to deny to others," Connor said. "The hypocrisy is breathtaking."
The cases before the Court are Scheidler v. NOW and Operation Rescue v. NOW. A decision is expected before next summer.
See the Cybercast News Service coverage:
http://www.cnsnews.com/Nation/archive/200212/NAT20021204b.html
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