|
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 Ahead of the 250th Anniversary of America, the BIBLE Will Be Read Cover-to-Cover in DC 'We Saw Over 500 Make Decisions for Christ': Revival Hits Texas Universities Shameful: Arkansas Gov Huckabee Asked to Leave Restaurant by Triggered Staff Why Did the Biden Administration Cover Up Chinese Interference in Our Elections? Fulton County Numbers Don't Match after FBI Seizure Supreme Court Gears Up to Decide If Elections End on Election Day Women's Soccer Team Disappears into Iran as the Threat of Executions Looms Chuck Norris Passes Away after Sudden Hospitalization from Medical Emergency 'We Sensed the Hand of God': Group of Christians Experience Divine Protection from Iran's Missiles Group That Sets Agenda for 130K School Counselors Pushes Woke Program Over a Dozen Christian leaders urge Trump to Protect Afghan Christians from Deportation House Narrowly Passes Legislation to Deport Illegal Immigrants Participating in Welfare Fraud Report: FBI Has Been Investigating Joe Kent for Months over Classified Leak Allegations Iran's Islamic Regime Executes Iranian Champion Wrestler in 'Barbaric' Public Hanging amid War Saudis Unite Arab World against Iran's Regime: Trust 'Has Completely Been Shattered' Europe Finally Steps Up, Backs US in the Strait of Hormuz Joe Rogan: 'I'm Fascinated by the Story of Jesus Christ' [Video] Politicians Called It a 'Chemtrail Conspiracy.' The CIA's Own Files Just Proved Them Wrong Scotland's Parliament Votes against Assisted Suicide in Pro-Life Victory 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 |