High Court Rejects Abortion Clinic Law Challenge WASHINGTON, Oct 2 (Reuter) - The Supreme Court rejected a challenge by an anti-abortion group and five individuals to a law that bars protesters from blocking access to abortion clinics and from threatening patients or workers.
The justices let stand a February ruling by a U.S. Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va., that upheld the constitutionality of the federal law.
The measure was adopted by Congress and signed into law by President Clinton in 1994. The law makes it a crime to block access to clinics, damage their property or injure or intimidate abortion-seeking women or clinic staff.
The legal challenge had been filed by the anti-abortion group American Life League and five individuals who oppose abortion.
They said Congress lacked the authority under the Commerce Clause and another part of the Constitution to adopt the law. They cited a Supreme Court decision in April that Congress did not have the power to adopt a federal law barring possession of guns near schools.
They argued that the law represents an unconstitutional restriction on speech, that it was too vague and broad, and that it places a burden on the exercise of religion.
The Justice Department strongly defended the law, replying that Congress acted within its powers in adopting the measure and saying it does not infringe unnecessarily on expression.
"The prohibitions of the act are directed only to conduct involving force, threats of force or obstruction that Congress found to be a grave national problem. The act does not sweep within its scope activities unrelated to the evil Congress sought to address," it said.
The Supreme Court sided with the Justice Department and turned down the appeal without any comment or dissent.
The high court in June had rejected a similar challenge in the same case by an anti-abortion demonstrator and another group opposed to abortion.
Planned Parenthood hailed the high court's action as an important victory for the safety of reproductive health providers across the country.
"Murder, arson, stalking, and other violent acts are not acceptable forms of political expression," said Roger Evans of Planned Parenthood's litigation unit. The law "in no way impairs the constitutional freedoms of clinic protestors."
Abortion opponents said the Supreme Court action had been expected and added that it was not a big setback.
Reut17:44 10-02-95
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