Supreme Court to Rule on New Jersey's Demand for Pregnancy Center Donor Lists Without Cause
The Supreme Court will decide if New Jersey's Attorney General can demand private donor lists from First Choice Women's Resource Center without cause, amidst broader state investigations into faith-based pregnancy centers.
Court must end hostility against pregnancy centers
New York Daily News
Overview
- The Supreme Court will decide if the New Jersey Attorney General can demand private donor lists from First Choice Women’s Resource Center without cause, impacting privacy and state oversight.
- New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin's 2023 subpoena requested extensive documentation, including personal donor information, from First Choice despite no specified complaints against the center.
- This legal challenge arises as Democratic-aligned states increasingly investigate faith-based pregnancy centers for alleged misleading practices concerning abortion services.
- The New Jersey Attorney General has also issued warnings against non-abortion performing pregnancy centers, intensifying state scrutiny on these organizations.
- The Supreme Court's ruling will have significant implications for First Amendment rights and the scope of state investigations into crisis pregnancy centers nationwide.
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Analysis
Center-leaning sources cover the story neutrally by presenting a balanced account of the legal dispute between First Choice Women's Resource Centers and the New Jersey Attorney General. They outline arguments from both sides, provide factual background on crisis pregnancy centers, and explain the procedural history without editorializing or favoring one party's claims.
"Pregnancy centers should be free to serve women and offer the support they need without fear of unjust government retaliation."
USA TODAY"A faith-based pregnancy center will come before the Supreme Court to challenge an investigation into whether it misled people to discourage abortions."
ABC News"The facilities often known as "crisis pregnancy centers" have been on the rise in the U.S., especially since the Supreme Court's conservative majority overturned abortion as a nationwide right in 2022."
NPRArticles (8)
FAQ
New Jersey issued the subpoena as part of a broader investigation into whether faith-based pregnancy centers, including First Choice, misled the public about their reproductive healthcare services, particularly regarding abortion referrals. The state was seeking donor lists and other records to assess potential violations of the Consumer Fraud Act.
The subpoena requested extensive documentation, including donor names and other personal information, as well as operational records related to the center's activities and communications about reproductive healthcare services.
The Supreme Court's ruling will have significant implications for First Amendment rights, the privacy of donor information, and the scope of state investigations into crisis pregnancy centers nationwide. It could set a precedent for how much information states can demand from organizations without specific cause.
First Choice has not been formally accused of wrongdoing; the subpoena is part of a broader state investigation into faith-based pregnancy centers for potential misleading practices regarding abortion services, but no specific complaints have been cited against First Choice itself.
First Choice Women's Resource Center is being represented by the Alliance Defending Freedom, a legal advocacy group that supports religious liberty and pro-life causes.
History
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4 articles