Tag Archives: ZZ: O’Brien v. Mayor and City Council of Baltimore

WalshsLaw: A Fourth Circuit panel consisting of Judge Niemeyer, Judge King, and Judge Agee heard oral arguments yesterday in two First Amendment challenges brought by pregnancy resource centers in Maryland. I attended both arguments. From the content and tenor of the proceedings, it seems very likely that the court will affirm the two district courts whose rulings were at issue, both of which held that ordinances compelling speech by pregnancy resource centers violate the First Amendment.

LifeNews.com: Matt Bowman of the Alliance Defense Fund says Judge Garbis’ ruling was a correct one. “The judge ruled that the law’s attempt to burden speech unconstitutionally discriminated against noncommercial, unlicensed speech on the explicit basis that it came from a perspective disfavoring abortion,” he said, calling it a “monumental decision protecting free speech and women’s health.

LifeNews: Matt Bowman of the Alliance Defense Fund says Judge Garbis’ ruling was a correct one. “The judge ruled that the law’s attempt to burden speech unconstitutionally discriminated against noncommercial, unlicensed speech on the explicit basis that it came from a perspective disfavoring abortion,” he said, calling it a “monumental decision protecting free speech and women’s health.” Bowman added [in a post at Catholic Vote] . . .

“A federal judge has struck down a Baltimore ordinance that requires pregnancy counseling centers to post a disclaimer if they don’t provide abortions or birth control.”

LifeNews: “A federal judge held a hearing on a lawsuit filed by the Archdiocese of Baltimore against the Maryland city yesterday over a law that attacks pregnancy centers that help women find abortion alternatives.”

Center for Reproductive Rights: “This afternoon, a hearing took place in the City of Baltimore’s and Center for Reproductive Rights’ case defending a first-in-the-nation ordinance that demands truth in advertising from limited service pregnancy centers, also known as crisis pregnancy centers.”