RICO Does Not Apply to Abortion Protesters

[Longhorn_Platinum]

ACLJ: Supreme Court Delivers Major Victory for Pro-Life Movement by Putting End to Marathon Abortion Protest Case

<!---------- END MULTIMEDIA BOX ----------><!---------- START STORY BODY ---------->WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 28, 2006--The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), which is Counsel of Record in one of the pro-life cases decided today by the Supreme Court, said the high court's unanimous decision in favor of pro-life demonstrators is a welcomed victory that once and for all puts an end to marathon litigation by ruling unanimously that a federal statute designed to go after drug dealers and organized crime cannot be used against pro-life demonstrators.

The ACLJ is Counsel of Record for Operation Rescue - one of several pro-life defendants in a racketeering suit brought by the National Organization for Women.

MORE HERE. (http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20060228005801&newsLang=en)

[HomeschoolrsRUs]

Finally!

[DoctorDoom]

It's about bloody time! If one wants organized crime, look no further than the ongoing infanticide within the walls of the abortuaries.

[HomeschoolrsRUs]

It's about bloody time! If one wants organized crime, look no further than the ongoing infanticide within the walls of the abortuaries.

Absolutely Doc!

[Republican_Legion]

I bet them sick freaks at the DU are foaming at mouth over this recent SCOTUS decision.

[Native American]

It's GREAT to see the socialist National Organization for Women and the goon squad AFL-CIO get kicked in the teeth on this one! And what a stunning kick it was! The Supremes voted unanimously against those two plaintiffs on this one!!

[DoctorDoom]

Background on the idiocy ...

1986 case:

In the early 1986, the National Organization of Women (NOW) used RICO to initiate a lawsuit against Operation Rescue, the Pro-Life Action League, the League's Executive Director, Joseph Scheidler, and two of Scheidler's associates: Timothy Murphy and Andrew Scholberg. The groups had allegedly blockaded a number of abortion clinics in Delaware and Wisconsin.

During the trial, U.S. District Judge David Coar prohibited the clinic lawyers from introducing evidence that they claimed would link the defendants to more than a decade of bombings and arson attacks throughout the U.S. However, they were allowed to introduce evidence about physical attacks and threats against clinic staff and patients.

The case proceeded. On 1998-APR-20, all of the defendants were found guilty of having engaged in 21 acts of extortion. The US Federal jury ordered the three activists and the two organizations to pay $85,962.92 in damages. The amount was based upon the cost of increased security arrangements during the blockade. Because of the nature of the RICO act, these damages were tripled to about $258,000. The way became clear for up to 1000 abortion clinics in the US to follow the lead of the the Milwaukee and Wilmington clinics, bring similar lawsuits, and claim massive damages.

Mr. Scheidler of the Pro-Life Action League commented: "They want to bankrupt us; there's no question about that...We wanted to come out as a legitimate force in America, and not as racketeers. There is no honor in being a racketeer and we're not racketeers." Later, he said: "A million dollars, a billion dollars, a trillion dollars, the national debt - they won't get it. You can't get blood from a turnip - and we're turnips." Larry Crane, the lawyer representing Operation Rescue confirmed this; he said: "There's no chance or likelihood of collecting any judgment against these impecunious defendants."

Patricia Ireland, president of NOW, said: "A jury of six men and women saw through the thugs' shameless attempt to pervert the First Amendment."Use of the "RICO LAW" against anti-abortion groups (http://www.religioustolerance.org/abo_rico.htm)

BTW, this isn't the first SCOTUS ruling. Same page ...

On 2003-FEB-26, the U.S. Supreme Court voted in an unusual 8:1 split that RICO cannot be used against pro-life clinic protesters. The ruling released Joseph Scheidler of Operation Rescue and others from having to pay $258,000 in judgments. A national injunction which prevented the groups from interfering with abortion clinics was cancelled. Chief Justice William Rehnquist wrote for the majority: "...even when their [pro-lifers] acts of interference and disruption achieved their ultimate goal of 'shutting down' a clinic that performed abortions, such acts did not constitute extortion."

[DeclinetoState]

I thought RICO was supposed to be used against businesses that were fronts for money laundering by the Mafia, etc.

[Venus de Smilo]

Is there an effort underway yet to modify or commute the sentences of those convicted under the RICO Act for protesting abortion facilities?