Politics
Thursday December 5, 2002
SUPREME COURT JUSTICES QUESTION FREEDOM OF SPEECH ISSUES IN RICO CASE
TODAY'S HEADLINES
E-MAIL
PRINT
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
Back to TopLatest Headlines
- "Manhattan Declaration" Embodies U.S. Christian Pushback against Abortion, Same-Sex "Marriage"
- Hoffman Loses Final Tally of NY-23 Race; Alleges ACORN Tampering and Fraud
- Abortion Activist Judge Hamilton Confirmed with Help of Ten Republican Senators
- CDC Reverses Gardasil Vaccine Requirement for Immigrants
- Germany Faces Economic Downturn with Plummeting Birth Rate and Aging Population
- CCHD in Archdiocese of Chicago Says it is Working to Fix Problems
- Rejection of Washington DC Marriage Referendum Challenged With Legal Suit
- Obama-Supporting Homosexual Activist to Out Sexually Involved Priests Unless they Support Gay 'Marriage
- Austrian Catholic Bishops Issue Bland Response to Govt's Homosexual Partnership Bill
- Interim Report on Catholic Sex-Abuse Says "Homosexual Identity" Not a Predictor of Sex Abuse
- Commentary on Nov 20 NewsBytes
- LSN NewsBytes - US Health Care Reform
- LSN NewsBytes - Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD)
- LSN NewsBytes - Life Issues, Religion, Swine Flu, US Politics, Sarah Palin, Miscellaneous
- LSN NewsBytes - Climate Change/Global Warming
- 59 Bishops Contributed Financially to Maine Bishop's Effort to Oppose Maine Same-Sex "Marriage" Law
- Pro-Abortion Lawmakers Shower Praise on Senate Bill's Phony Abortion Compromise
Most Read this Week
- Largest U.S. Homosexual Publisher Shuts Down, Closing Major Gay Newspapers
- EWTN's Arroyo Hosts Reform CCHD Reps Who Reveal Shocking Evidence Against USCCB Anti-Poverty Arm
- Italian Mayors Order Crufixes Put in Classrooms in Revolt against European Court Ruling
- Nat'l Organization for Marriage Responds to Miss California "Sex Tape" Scandal
- Obama Evades Questioning on Stupak Amendment in FOX Interview
- "Manhattan Declaration" Embodies U.S. Christian Pushback against Abortion, Same-Sex "Marriage"
- French Judge Finds Hospital Guilty of "Unreasonable Obstinacy" in Saving Newborn's Life
- EU Leaders to Choose President today in Secret "Soviet Style" Meetings
- Hoffman "Unconcedes" Battle for NY-23: Recount Provides Hope for "Miracle" Victory
- CCHD Responds to Reform Movement
MORE NEWS: 
LifeSiteNews.com Home Page Last 10 Days Archives Special Reports
Copyright © LifeSiteNews.com. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivatives License. You may republish this article or portions of it without request provided the content is not altered and it is clearly attributed to "LifeSiteNews.com". Any website publishing of complete or large portions of original LifeSiteNews articles MUST additionally include a live link to www.LifeSiteNews.com. The link is not required for excerpts. Republishing of articles on LifeSiteNews.com from other sources as noted is subject to the conditions of those sources.