Scheidler v. National Organization for Women (2006)

Scheidler v. National Organization for Women, Inc.
Argued November 30, 2005
Decided February 28, 2006
Full case nameJoseph Scheidler, et al. v. National Organization for Women, Inc., et al.
Citations547 U.S. 9 (more)
126 S. Ct. 1264; 164 L. Ed. 2d 10; 2006 U.S. LEXIS 2022; 74 U.S.L.W. 4149; 19 Fla. L. Weekly Fed. S 120
Case history
PriorComplaint dismissed, 765 F. Supp. 937 (N.D. Ill. 1991); affirmed, 968 F.2d 612 (7th Cir. 1992); rehearing denied, 7th Cir., Aug. 4, 1992; cert. granted, 508 U.S. 971 (1994); reversed, National Organization for Women, Inc. v. Scheidler, 510 U.S. 249 (1994); rehearing denied, 510 U.S. 1215 (1994); remanded, 25 F.3d 1053 (7th Cir. 1994); complaint stricken in part, dismissed as to certain defendants; 897 F.Supp. 1047 (N.D. Ill. 1995); summary judgment granted in part to defendants, N.D. Ill. Sept. 23, 1997; permanent injunction granted to plaintiffs, N.D. Ill. July 19, 1999; affirmed, 267 F.3d 687 (7th Cir. 2001); rehearing denied, 7th Cir., Oct. 29, 2001; cert. granted, 535 U.S. 1016 (2002); reversed and remanded, Scheidler v. National Organization for Women, 537 U.S. 393 (2003); remanded, 91 Fed. Appx. 510 (7th Cir. 2004); rehearing denied, 396 F.3d 807 (7th Cir. 2005); cert. granted, 545 U.S. 1151 (2005).
Holding
The Hobbs Act did not apply to the use of violence to block access to abortion clinics, because physical violence unrelated to robbery or extortion falls outside the Act's scope. Seventh Circuit reversed and remanded.
Court membership
Chief Justice
John Roberts
Associate Justices
John P. Stevens · Antonin Scalia
Anthony Kennedy · David Souter
Clarence Thomas · Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Stephen Breyer · Samuel Alito
Case opinion
MajorityBreyer, joined by Roberts, Stevens, Scalia, Kennedy, Souter, Thomas, Ginsburg
Alito took no part in the consideration or decision of the case.
Laws applied
18 U.S.C. § 1951 (Hobbs Act)

Scheidler v. National Organization for Women, 547 U.S. 9 (2006), was a lengthy and high-profile U.S. legal case interpreting and applying the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO): a law originally drafted to combat the mafia and organized crime, the Hobbs Act: an anti-extortion law prohibiting interference with commerce by violence or threat of violence,[1] and the Travel Act: a law prohibiting interstate travel in support of racketeering.[2]

Parties and issues

The National Organization for Women ("NOW") as plaintiff filed the suit as a civil class-action in 1986 in federal district court on behalf of women seeking abortions and on behalf of various abortion clinics and providers. Plaintiffs sought monetary damages and injunctions under the RICO, Hobbs, and the Travel Acts, alleging that the defendants against whom the suit was filed are racketeering organizations engaging in a conspiracy to prevent access to health care facilities providing abortion services. The suit's named defendants were Joseph Scheidler and other anti-abortion protesters and organizations who were members of the Pro-Life Action League (PLAL), and specifically the Oklahoma Pro-Life Action Network (PLAN). The underlying issues in the case concerning access to abortion and the coercive and violent tactics used by some to prevent such access formed a central rallying point for both sides of the national abortion debate.

Consolidation and rulings

The Circuit and Supreme courts heard appeals and the matter was eventually consolidated with National Organization for Women et al. v. Operation Rescue. The case was argued before the Supreme Court of the United States on three separate occasions. A 2003 ruling that non-economic violence does not violate the RICO Act left other federal charges intact, including associated monetary damages and a national injunction against interference with abortion clinic operations, but the entire matter remained unsettled until the final decision in 2006 when the Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision in favor of Scheidler and PLAN (see below).

The case was also notable for the legal skills at the disposal of and displayed by the National Organization for Women.[3]

History

The suit against Scheidler and PLAN members was filed by NOW and supporting clinics in 1986, under the Sherman Antitrust Act and violations of various state laws. In 1988, it was expanded to include Randall Terry and Operation Rescue. In 1989, RICO and extortion claims were added.

Antitrust litigation

The United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois dismissed the antitrust claims on the grounds that the protest groups were not in economic competition with the abortion clinics, and dismissed the RICO claims on the grounds that no "economic motive" was alleged.[4] The dismissals were upheld by the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.[5] This decision conflicted with other RICO cases from other circuits.

In 1994, the Supreme Court reversed the appeals court, asserting that no economic motive was necessary to violate the RICO laws.[6]

The case was remanded back to the district court.

RICO complaint and trial

At this point, the defendants included John Patrick Ryan, Randall Terry, Andrew Scholberg, Conrad Wojnar, Timothy Murphy, Monica Migliorino, VitalMed Laboratories, Inc., the Pro-Life Action League, Inc. (PLAL), the Pro-Life Direct Action League, Inc. (PDAL), Operation Rescue, and Project Life. The plaintiffs included NOW and two abortion clinics, the Delaware Women's Health Organization, Inc., and the Summit Women's Health Organization, Inc.

Meanwhile, in 1994, the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE) went into effect, prohibiting the use of force or intimidation to block access to reproductive health care facilities.

In 1997, class-action status was granted by the district court, certifying NOW as representing the class of all women seeking reproductive health care. In 1998, Randall Terry, founder of Operation Rescue who was facing over $100,000 in costs from other abortion clinic-related charges, settled the case against him, agreeing to a permanent personal injunction.

Also 1998, as the Supreme Court summarizes: [1]

After a 7-week trial, a six-member jury concluded that petitioners violated the civil provisions of RICO. By answering a series of special interrogatory questions, the jury found, inter alia, that petitioners' alleged "pattern of racketeering activity" included 21 violations of the Hobbs Act, 18 U. S. C. §1951; 25 violations of state extortion law; 25 instances of attempting or conspiring to commit either federal or state extortion; 23 violations of the Travel Act, 18 U. S. C. §1952; and 23 instances of attempting to violate the Travel Act. The jury awarded $31,455.64 to respondent, the National Women's Health Organization of Delaware, Inc., and $54,471.28 to the National Women's Health Organization of Summit, Inc. These damages were trebled pursuant to §1964(c). Additionally, the District Court entered a permanent nationwide injunction prohibiting petitioners from obstructing access to the clinics, trespassing on clinic property, damaging clinic property, or using violence or threats of violence against the clinics, their employees, or their patients.

(The injunction was issued in 1999; "petitioners" refers to the original defendants, who were the parties making the appeal.) The case was appealed to the Seventh Circuit again, on several grounds, including the First Amendment right to free speech. The circuit court affirmed the lower court's decision.[7]

The Supreme Court agreed to hear an appeal, though refused to consider free speech issues. In its 2003 decision, the court ruled that while the actions under consideration in the appeal might have been coercive, they were not extortive because the defendants did not "'obtain' property" from their victims.[8] The defendants did, however, according to the Court, interfere with the victims' ability to exercise their property rights. Coercion is a less serious crime than extortion, and is not covered by RICO. The decision left open the question of whether the law generally entitled private parties to injunctive relief (as opposed to after-the-fact monetary damages) in RICO cases.

Supreme Court review

The case returned to the Seventh Circuit, where the plaintiffs argued that while 117 violations of the RICO Act were addressed by the second Supreme Court decision, 4 violations of the Hobbs Act remained, constituting violence but not extortion. They also claimed that the national injunction could be supported as remedy for these acts. The appeals court attempted to remand these issues to the district court, but the defendants appealed to the Supreme Court, on the grounds that the Seventh Circuit was ignoring the 2003 decision. The defendants also asked the court to decide whether the Hobbs Act prohibits non-extortive violence, and to decide the still-open question of whether the law generally entitled private parties to injunctive relief in RICO cases.

With the case styled as Scheidler v. National Organization for Women, Inc., the Supreme Court handed down a unanimous (8-0) decision in favor of Scheidler and PLAN on February 28, 2006. Because he was not yet on the Court when the arguments were presented, Justice Samuel Alito did not participate in the decision. The Court held that the Hobbs Act did not cover violence unrelated to robbery or extortion. The Court also noted that Congress's 1994 passage of FACE indicated that Congress did not view RICO as pertaining to this area.

See also

References

  1. ^ The Hobbs Act, 18 USC §1951.
  2. ^ The Travel Act, 18 USC §1952.
  3. ^ O'Connor, Karen and Yanus, Alixandra B., Where Have All of the Pro-Choice Lawyers Gone? An Analysis of Post-Roe Reproductive Rights Lawyering (abstract), Law & Policy, 29:3:368-379 (2007). doi:10.1111/j.1467-9930.2007.00259.x.
  4. ^ National Organization for Women, Inc. v. Scheidler, 765 F. Supp. 937 (N.D. Ill. 1991).
  5. ^ National Organization for Women, Inc. v. Scheidler, 968 F.2d 612 (7th Cir. 1992).
  6. ^ See National Organization for Women, Inc. v. Scheidler, 510 U.S. 249 (1994)
  7. ^ National Organization for Women, Inc. v. Scheidler, 267 F.3d 687 (7th Cir. 2001).
  8. ^ See Scheidler v. National Organization for Women, 537 U.S. 393 (2003).

Litigants' summaries

2006 Supreme Court case

Further reading

RICO use in other social justice contexts

  • Roth, Jaime, Comment, Reptiles in the Weeds: Civil RICO vs. the First Amendment in the Animal Rights Debate, Univ. of Miami Law Review, 56:467 (2002).
  • Beltran, Xavier, Note, Applying RICO to Eco-Activism: Fanning the Radical Flames of Eco-Terror, B.C. Environmental Affairs Law Review, 29:281 (2002).

Read other articles:

仓央嘉措六世达赖喇嘛尊者法像达赖喇嘛 前世 ← 第六世 → 后世 出生1683年第十一繞迥水豬年门隅达旺 纳拉山下宇松地区邬坚岭(今印度阿鲁纳恰尔邦達旺縣[1])坐床1697年第十二绕迥火牛年布达拉宫失蹤1706年第十二繞迥陰木雞年青海湖公噶瑙爾寺院布达拉宫法名洛桑仁钦仓央嘉措含义善慧宝梵音海藏文བློ་བཟང་རིན་ཆེན་ཚངས་དབྱངས་

 

Single by Stars on 45 Stars on 45Original Dutch 7 single sleeveSingle by Stars on 45from the album Long Play Album ReleasedJanuary 1981Recorded1980GenreDisconovelty[1]Length7: 4:48 (US: 4:05)12: 11:30 (US: 10:15)LabelCNR Records (NL)CBS Records (UK)Radio/Atlantic Records (US)Songwriter(s)Robbie van LeeuwenJeff BarryAndy KimLennon-McCartneyProducer(s)Jaap EggermontStars on 45 singles chronology Stars on 45 (1981) More Stars (1981) Stars on 45 is a song medley issued in January 1981 by ...

 

Inácio Montanha Busto de Montanha en Porto AlegreInformación personalNacimiento 1858 Yaguarón (Brasil) Fallecimiento 1933 Nacionalidad Brasileña[editar datos en Wikidata] Inácio Montanha (25 de julio de 1858 , Jaguarão — 1933 Porto Alegre) fue un educador brasileño. Biografía Montanha estudió en el Seminario Episcopal de Porto Alegre, graduándose como profesor en 1879. Posteriormente enseñó portugués, matemáticas, historia y geografía.[1]​ Fue invitado a ense...

Đối với các định nghĩa khác, xem Hoàng Văn Thái (định hướng). Đại tướngHoàng Văn TháiChức vụThứ trưởng Quốc phòngNhiệm kỳ1974 – 1986Bộ trưởngVõ Nguyên Giáp, Văn Tiến Dũng Phó chủ nhiệm Ủy ban Kế hoạch Nhà nướcNhiệm kỳ1977 – 1980Chủ nhiệmLê Thanh Nghị Tư lệnh Quân Giải phóng miền Nam Việt NamNhiệm kỳ1967 – 1973Tiền nhiệmTrần Văn TràKế nhi...

 

79th Armoured DivisionBadge of the 79th Armoured DivisionActive14 August 1942–20 August 1945Country United KingdomBranch British ArmyTypeSpecialised armourSizeDivisionEngagementsSecond World War Battle of Normandy Battle of the Scheldt Operation Clipper Operation Plunder Battle for the Roer Triangle CommandersNotablecommandersMajor-General Sir Percy HobartMilitary unit The 79th Armoured Division was a specialist armoured division of the British Army created during the Second World...

 

City in California, United States City in California, United StatesDavisCity Top: Davis station (left) and Downtown (right); bottom: University of California, Davis Anthem: The Davis Song[1]Location of Davis in Yolo County, CaliforniaDavisLocation in the State of CaliforniaShow map of CaliforniaDavisLocation in the contiguous United StatesShow map of the United StatesCoordinates: 38°33′14″N 121°44′17″W / 38.55389°N 121.73806°W / 38.55389; -121.73806...

«Drive»Canción de Miley CyrusÁlbum BangerzPublicación 8 de octubre de 2013Grabación 14 de febrero de 2013[1]​Género Pop dubstepDuración 4:15Discográfica RCA RecordsEscritor(es) Miley Cyrus Michael Williams II Samuel Jean Pierre Slaughter Ethan Lowery[2]​Productor(es) Mike Will Made It P-Nasty[2]​Idioma original inglés Canciones de Bangerz «#GETITRIGHT» (8) «Drive» (9) «FU» (10) [editar datos en Wikidata] «Drive» —en español: «Conduce»— es u...

 

2000 single by Foo Fighters For other uses, see Next Year (disambiguation). Next YearStandard artworkSingle by Foo Fightersfrom the album There Is Nothing Left to Lose ReleasedDecember 4, 2000Recorded1999GenreAlternative rockLength4:37LabelRoswell, RCASongwriter(s)Dave Grohl, Nate Mendel and Taylor HawkinsFoo Fighters singles chronology Breakout (2000) Next Year (2000) The One (2002) Music videoNext Year on YouTube Next Year is a song released as the last single from the third Foo Fighters' a...

 

Universitas Nusa PutraNusa Putra UniversityMotoAmor Deus, Parentium, ConcervisJenisPerguruan Tinggi SwastaDidirikan2 Februari 2018; 5 tahun lalu (2018-02-02)AfiliasiUmumRektorDr. Kurniawan, ST.,M.Si.,MMAlamatJalan Raya Cibolang Kaler No.21, Kec. Cisaat Kabupaten Sukabumi, Jawa Barat, Situs webwww.nusaputra.ac.id Universitas Nusa Putra atau Nusa Putra University (NPU) adalah universitas swasta yang berlokasi di Sukabumi Jawa Barat di bawah naungan Yayasan Perguruan Nusa Putra Sukabumi. ...

2013 horror novel by Rick Yancey The Final Descent First editionAuthorRick YanceyCountryUnited StatesSeriesThe Monstrumologist[1]PublisherSimon & Schuster Books for Young Readers[1][2]Publication dateSeptember 2013[1]Media typePrint (hardcover), e-bookPages310 pp., illustrated[2]ISBN978-1-4424-5153-7OCLC827262612LC ClassPZ7.1.H465 Fin 2013[2]Preceded byThe Isle of Blood  The Final Descent is a horror novel by Rick Yancey,...

 

American physicist and mountaineer Portrait of Herschel Clifford Parker Herschel Clifford Parker (born Brooklyn, New York, 9 July 1867; died 1931[1]) was a United States physicist and mountaineer. Biography He graduated from the Columbia School of Mines in 1890, receiving a degree of Ph.B., and was connected with the faculty there in 1891–1911, filling the chair of physics for some time before his resignation. He wrote Systematic Treatise on Electrical Measurements (1897), and made ...

 

يفتقر محتوى هذه المقالة إلى الاستشهاد بمصادر. فضلاً، ساهم في تطوير هذه المقالة من خلال إضافة مصادر موثوق بها. أي معلومات غير موثقة يمكن التشكيك بها وإزالتها. (سبتمبر 2019) كرة القدم في ألعاب البحر الأبيض المتوسط 2009 مسابقة كرة القدم في ألعاب البحر الأبيض المتوسط 2009 عقدت بين الف...

Ecoregion in Sri Lanka Sri Lanka dry-zone dry evergreen forestsSri Lankan elephants in Hurulu Forest ReserveEcoregion territory (in purple)EcologyRealmIndomalayanBiometropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forestsBordersDeccan thorn scrub forestsSri Lanka lowland rain forestsSri Lanka montane rain forestsGeographyArea47,759 km2 (18,440 sq mi)CountrySri LankaConservationConservation statusvulnerableProtected17,736 km² (37%)[1] The Sri Lanka dry-zone dry evergreen forest...

 

Dan BaerUnited States Ambassador to the OSCEIn officeSeptember 10, 2013 – January 20, 2017PresidentBarack ObamaPreceded byIan KellySucceeded byJim Gilmore Personal detailsBorn (1977-01-06) January 6, 1977 (age 46)Denver, Colorado, U.S.Political partyDemocraticSpouse Brian Walsh ​(m. 2014)​EducationHarvard University (AB)Magdalen College, Oxford (MPhil, DPhil) Daniel Brooks Baer[1] (born January 6, 1977) is an American politician and former ...

 

2012 video gameAmyDeveloper(s)VectorCellPublisher(s)Lexis NumériqueDirector(s)Paul CuissetEnginePhyreEnginePlatform(s) Xbox 360[1] PlayStation 3[2] ReleaseWW: 11 January 2012Genre(s) Survival horror stealth Mode(s)Single-player Amy is a survival horror stealth video game, released in 2012, developed by VectorCell and published by Lexis Numérique. Amy depicts the journey of Amy, an autistic child with supernatural powers, and her protector Lana. In a city suffering from a zom...

Overview of real estate in the People's Republic of China Real estate in China is developed and managed by public, private, and state-owned red chip enterprises. In the years leading up to the 2008 financial crisis, the real estate sector in China was growing so rapidly that the government implemented a series of policies—including raising the required down payment for some property purchases, and five 2007 interest rate increases—due to concerns of overheating. But after the crisis hit, ...

 

English association footballer Georgia Allen Personal informationDate of birth (1998-06-27) 27 June 1998 (age 25)Place of birth Bury St Edmunds, EnglandHeight 1.64 m (5 ft 5 in)[1]Position(s) MidfielderTeam informationCurrent team Ipswich Town F.C.International careerYears Team Apps (Gls) England (women U-19) Georgia Allen (born 16 June 1998) is a former English footballer who played in midfield for Ipswich Town F.C.[2][3][4][5][...

 

Artikel ini sebatang kara, artinya tidak ada artikel lain yang memiliki pranala balik ke halaman ini.Bantulah menambah pranala ke artikel ini dari artikel yang berhubungan atau coba peralatan pencari pranala.Tag ini diberikan pada Desember 2023. Ace of DiamondMusim 1Gambar sampul volume pertama versi Blu-rayNegara asalJepangJumlah episode75RilisSaluran asliTX NetworkTanggal tayang6 Oktober 2013 (2013-10-06) –29 Maret 2015 (2015-3-29)Kronologi MusimSelanjutnya →Musim 2 ...

Chandan Roy SanyalSanyal (kiri) di acara Esha Deol's SangeetLahirChandan Roy SanyalNew Delhi, IndiaPekerjaanPemeran, Peraga busanaTahun aktif2006–sekarang Chandan Roy Sanyal (kelahiran 30 Januari) adalah seorang pemeran asal India yang dikenal atas karyanya dalam film Hindi dan Bengali.[1] Setelah lulus dengan gelar dalam bidang matematika, ia membuat debut aktingnya dalam film 2006 Rang de Basanti, dalam sebuah peran kecil. Referensi ^ Discovery Of Chandan Roy Sanyal. Calcutt...

 

Paghimo ni bot Lsjbot. 30°56′16″N 7°14′38″W / 30.93779°N 7.24383°W / 30.93779; -7.24383 Jebel Ahrdane Jebel Amagna Bungtod Nasod  Moroko Rehiyon Région de Souss-Massa-Drâa Gitas-on 1,412 m (4,633 ft) Tiganos 30°56′16″N 7°14′38″W / 30.93779°N 7.24383°W / 30.93779; -7.24383 Timezone UTC (UTC+0) GeoNames 2560988 Bungtod ang Jebel Ahrdane sa Moroko.[1] Nahimutang ni sa rehiyon sa Région de Souss-Massa-Drâ...

 

Strategi Solo vs Squad di Free Fire: Cara Menang Mudah!