Supreme Court Takes Away Additional Tool to Protect Women, Doctors, Clinics from Anti-Choice Activities

Washington, DC—NARAL Pro-Choice America called today's decision by the Supreme Court a hindrance to reproductive-health-care clinics' efforts to protect their patients and employees from anti-choice violence and intimidation.  In Scheidler v. National Organization for Women, the Supreme Court held that federal extortion and racketeering laws cannot be used to stop anti-choice extremists from obstructing access to clinics, trespassing on or damaging clinic property, or using violence or threats of violence against clinics, their employees, or their patients. 

"This decision by the Court takes away a legal resource doctors, clinic employees and women could have used to protect themselves from the violent acts of these extreme anti-choice demonstrators," said Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America.  "As NARAL Pro-Choice America argued in our amicus brief, the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act enacted in 1994 has not curtailed the illegal actions of extremist anti-choice protesters.  This case would have helped fill the gap in protecting women and doctors.  To me, there is a great hypocrisy surrounding the actions of these anti-choice groups; the doctors and clinics they target are the same ones offering women a broad range of reproductive-health care including services that prevent unintended pregnancy and to reduce the need for abortion."

Unfortunately, violence at reproductive-health-care clinics is still a reality today.  Among other acts, in the past year there has been an attempted firebombing at a Louisiana clinic and one incident of arson in Florida.  In the past decade approximately two murders, one attempted murder,  two bombings, 18 incidents of arson, 298 acts of vandalism, 642 anthrax threats, 121 bomb threats, and 27 blockades have occurred at clinics. Since 1993, three doctors, two clinic employees, a clinic escort, and a security guard have been murdered.  In addition to these seven murders, 17 attempted murders have also occurred since 1991.

Contact:
Ted Miller, 202.973.3032