The Government Can’t Enforce “compelled speech” Ordinances

Pro-life women’s pregnancy centers may be nearing the end of a 5-year legal battle against the city of Baltimore, which passed an ordinance requiring them to post signs they say would discourage women from availing themselves of the help the centers offer.

A federal judge ruled the city cannot force crisis pregnancy centers to post signs telling clients they do not provide or refer for surgical or medical abortions.  U.S. District Judge Marvin J. Garbis, who was appointed to the bench by President George H.W. Bush, issued a summary judgement in favor of the pro-life movement in Greater Baltimore Center for Pregnancy Concerns (CPC) v. Mayor and City Council of Baltimore. 

“No American should be forced to promote activities or speak messages that violate their deepest convictions, as Baltimore’s ordinance required,” said Matt Bowman, legal counsel at the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF).  An ADF-allied attorney, Mark Rienzi, represented the CPCs in the case.

Courts have consistently ruled that the government cannot enforce “compelled speech” ordinances, legal experts have told LifeSiteNews, requiring them to post signs or otherwise convey a message that opposes their deep-seated views.

Supporters of abortion-on-demand defended the ordinance while accusing pro-life women’s centers of telling lies and falsehood.  “Baltimore’s ordinance is a common sense measure designed to protect consumers from a long-standing and documented pattern of deceptive practices by crisis pregnancy centers,” said Stephanie Toti, a senior staff attorney at the Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR) …  which has been party to the lawsuit.

While the city may appeal the order, Bowman of ADF called the judgment an “important First Amendment victory.”

The ADF is currently litigating against similar laws in California and Illinois, “seeking to protect the constitutionally protected freedoms of other pregnancy resource centers that are being threatened by the government,” said Bowman.

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel