Pro-life attorneys argued yesterday at the U.S. Supreme Court against a Massachusetts law that creates a "buffer zone." The 35-foot area was created to prevent sidewalk counselors from speaking to women entering abortion sellers.
Gov. Deval Patrick signed the law in 2007. Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) filed suit the following year on behalf of life advocates challenging its constitutionality. Shortly after, the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with a lower court's decision in favor of the buffer zone law.
ADF Senior Counsel Steven H. Aden called today's hearing a "very spirited discussion."
"Mark Rienzi, advocating for the pro-life counselors, was brilliant in explaining how the law worked to completely deny pro-life counselors access to mothers in need, and why that violates the Constitution," he told CitizenLink.
The government cannot be allowed to create censorship zones, said ADF Attorney Michael De Primo.
"This buffer zone censors speakers from engaging in constitutionally protected speech," he said. "We hope the Supreme Court will agree and strike down the law that created the zone."
Source: CitizenLInk, by Bethany Monk
