NOW v. Scheidler in the Courts

NOW's Lawsuit to Stop Clinic Violence

clinic defense
Clinic defense in Maryland, 1997.

On February 28, 2006, the Supreme Court issued its decision in the cases of Scheidler et al. v. National Organization for Women et al. and Operation Rescue et al. v. National Organization for Women et al., a ruling that could add to the increasing difficulty women face in obtaining reproductive health services. If the Court's 8-0 decision ushers in a return to clinic violence in the United States, NOW stands ready to fight in every jurisdiction. Read the statement of NOW President Kim Gandy on the ruling.

These cases related to stopping illegal violence directed against women's health clinics, abortion providers and their patients. NOW initiated this case nearly 20 years ago in an effort to stop anti-abortion extremists from continuing to plan and organize violence at women's health clinics. The self-described "pro-life Mafia" planned to end abortion by closing every clinic that provided abortion services. Over the past 19 years, the violence has included invasions, violent blockades, arson, chemical attacks and bombings of women's health care clinics, assaults on patients, death threats and shootings of health care workers and administrators, including the murder of eight abortion providers.


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