We are a multidisciplinary fellowship researching threats to life at its beginning and natural end.

4th Circuit rules on compelled speech cases involving crisis pregnancy centers

Here is a link to a National Right to Life News story on the 4th Cicuit’s recent (July 3, 2013) decision in two 1st Amendment cases involving crisis pregnancy centers. http://www.nationalrighttolifenews.org/news/2013/07/4th-circuit-returns-dispute-over-attack-on-cpcs-to-u-s-district-court/ Here is a link to a Washington Post story. http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-07-03/local/40346031_1_appeals-court-greater-baltimore-center-judge-robert-king

Both cases involve local ordinances that require that pregnancy centers make certain disclosures. The 4th Circuit sent one of the cases (from Baltimore) back to a lower court for further factual development. In the other case (from Montgomery County), the Court held unconstitutional part of the ordinance (the portion requiring centers to post a recommendation from the county that women who may be pregnant see a doctor) and held constitutional another part of the ordinance (the portion requiring that centers post a notice mentioning that the centers do not have a medical professional on staff). Judge Niemeyer wrote a very strong dissent from the latter ruling. 

Mark Rienzi from Catholic U’s Law School has been handling this litigation for years. 

Richard M.

UFFL and Copyright

Authors publishing with UFFL retain their copyrights. 

By publishing in ProVita or Life and Learning, authors agree that their work can be shared but neither adapted nor used commercially without their express permission. 

The CC-BY-NC-ND copyright acknowledgment and identification of the author is required when sharing material. 

Questions?  Contact us for any further clarification.