|
To receive daily emails from Breaking Christian News to your inbox CLICK HERE
Pro-Life Pregnancy Centers Case: Even the ACLU Calls NJ Actions 'Censorship by Intimidation'The high court is expected to issue its ruling on the case in June.
Two years ago, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin subpoenaed First Choice Pregnancy Centers, demanding their donors' identities and contact information. First Choice refused, maintaining that the information should be kept private. Sundeep Iyer, chief counsel representing the New Jersey attorney general, told the high court Tuesday that their request was part of an investigation into whether First Choice tricked donors into thinking they were contributing to an abortion provider. "Our entire purpose in asking for the category of donor information that we asked about was to evaluate whether any donors themselves might have been deceived by the representations on the donor pages maintained by First Choice," he said. Justice Amy Coney Barrett asked Iyer to clarify his statement. "I gather that you think the website might have made them think that this was an entity that provided abortion care as opposed to a pro-life entity? That was the concern?" she said, to which Iyer replied, "Yes, that's right, your honor." However, First Choice attorney Erin Hawley told the justices the organization's website clearly presents a pro-life stance. "It is not in the least misleading," she said. "It pictures smiling faces of babies and their families, that there is no question that it belongs to something like Planned Parenthood." Hawley went on to say the true reason behind the subpoena involves a widespread attack on the pro-life movement. "This is in the context of a hostile attorney general who has issued a consumer alert, urged New Jerseyans to beware of pregnancy centers and assembled a strike force against them," she said, to which Justice Clarence Thomas asked, "Were there complaints against you that stimulated the subpoena?" "No, your honor," Hawley replied. "The attorney general has never identified a single complaint." Furthermore, First Choice says disclosing donor information violates their freedom of speech and would scare them away. "Some donors gave as little as ten dollars," she said. "Those folks are going to be worried about a state attorney general, the highest law enforcement officer in the country, demanding their names, phone numbers, addresses, places of employment, so that he can contact them." Justice Brett Kavanaugh agreed, saying, "This is just kind of obvious that there's some kind of objective chill from a subpoena on speech." Justice Neil Gorsuch commented on First Choice donors, saying that if they were forced to reveal their identities, it would most likely impact their actions. "They're saying, 'If we'd known that this was going to happen, we wouldn't have given,' or, 'If it's going to be disclosed, we won't give.' I mean, doesn't that just follow night from day?" Even the ACLU filed a brief calling the attorney general's move "suppression by subpoena," and "censorship by intimidation." The high court is expected to issue its ruling on the case in June. Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here
To receive daily emails from Breaking Christian News to your inbox CLICK HERE
Other Recent Articles from Breaking Christian News Christopher Columbus and the Birth of the Modern World Trump: Zacharia Will Start Term as Press Secretary on Monday Elon Musk's Starlink Set to Become a ‘Major Mobile Carrier' Tens of Thousands of Illegal Votes Could be Cast in Georgia, Analyst Warns Teachers Union Blocks Feds From Finding Fraudulent School Bus Drivers Authorities Dismantle Louisiana Medicaid Fraud Web of Islamic Terror Financiers First Atlantic Hurricane of 2026 Kills 4; Knocks Out Power for Nearly 1 Million Saudi Arabia Faces Fresh Attacks as Deadly Houthi Strikes Keep Riyadh Airport Closed Federal Agents Raid Rep. Ilhan Omar's DC Home Researcher Convinced He's Found Noah's Ark Delivers a Message for Critics Roseanne Barr Is Coming Back With a New Family Series Security Bite: Apple's Latest Update, iOS 27, Lets Apps Ask Your iPhone If You're Being Scammed When Death is Dressed as a Cure Democrat Socialist Policies Would Cost $350K Per Household, Shorten Life Expectancy, Report Finds Texas County Takes Stand Against Sharia With Unanimous Vote New California Law Forces Churches to Provide 'Hate Speech' Training Massive 2,000-Year-Old Discovery Brings the World of Jesus to Life Remembering October 7th: Thousands of Christians Gather in Jerusalem to Fight 'Spiritual Battle' Pro-Lifers Visit Millions of Homes in Battleground States Ahead of Midterms Search the Articles Archives |
All articles on this site and emails from BCN are copyrighted property of Breaking Christian News. Permission is given to link to, or share a BCN story if proper attribution is given to both the original writer and summarizer of the story. Breaking Christian News 2005-2019. All Rights Reserved.
Breaking Christian News is a division of Elijah List Publications, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Disclaimer: Articles and links, as well as the source articles linked to; do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Breaking Christian News.
| Home | Store | Subscribe | Facebook | Article Archive |