[ News Flashes | Net News Home Page ]
RICO Trial Goes to Jury
Late Wednesday the 15th, NOW vs. Scheidler was finally sent to the jury after seven weeks of testimony. The lawsuit, initiated in 1986, attempts to permanently enjoin organizations from blockading women's health clinics.
During a press conference earlier this week, Susan Hill, President of class plaintiff National Women's Health Organization, representing a class of over 900 women's health clinics nationwide, spoke about the plaintiffs' rebuttal case. NWHO clinics have been plaintiffs in over 30 Federal and State lawsuits concerning abortion rights and anti-abortion extremism in the last 25 years.
Ms. Hill stated, "The defendants in this case have been unable to refute any of the powerful evidence we produced of acts of violence at clinics. Our case proved that the defendants engaged in a nationwide violent conspiracy to close dozens clinics.
Commenting on one of the key defendants, Ms. Hill said, "Joe Scheidler may not be a household name to many, but our case showed him to be a kingpin in a violent conspiracy which stretched from Chicago to include anti-abortion extremism all across the US including Pensacola, Florida, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, California, Wisconsin, and Georgia.
Ms. Hill also discussed the importance of the case: "We filed this case in 1986 in Pensacola because we feared that the violence at clinics across the country would soon lead to bloodshed. In 1985 Joe Scheidler announced a Year of Pain and Fear for abortion providers. The campaign of "Pain and Fear" continues to plague abortion providers to this day, but with this case we have finally cracked the conspiracy. I've lost colleagues and personal friends to this violence since 1986, and I hope this case will help put a stop to it."
Karen Johnson, Vice President of NOW, also commented on the importance of this case. "Since this case was filed, six people have lost their lives to anti-abortion violence, including one NOW member, Jim Barrett. Hundreds of clinics have been bombed, hundreds more forcibly closed by blockades, threats and harassment by anti-abortion extremists. We knew we had to defend ourselves against anti-abortion terrorism--this case is critical to that defense."
Ms. Johnson continued. "Hundreds of documents and other evidence presented in this case leave no question that the defendants planned and executed a nationwide campaign of terror against abortion clinics and providers, fulfilling their goal to stop abortion by any means necessary. We know more than ever before about the illegal activities of these defendants and many others not named in the case. We will not stop until reproductive freedom is safe and accessible for all women."
National Organization for Women, Inc
http://www.now.org
CONTACT: Mary Hood 888-760-2878 (page)
Justine Andronici 888-998-6094 (page)
[ News Flashes | Net News Home Page ]