By Fred Jackson
March 1, 2002

(AgapePress) - It appears to be a major victory for pregnancy resource centers in the State of New York. In the face of mounting opposition from pro-family and pro-life forces, State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer has withdrawn subpoenas he issued against the centers.

The announcement from Spitzer’s office comes just two weeks after the Christian Legal Society and other counsel went to court to quash the subpoenas, calling them a violation of the centers’ constitutional rights to free speech and free association. The centers assist women involved in crisis pregnancies, including counseling them about alternatives to abortion.

Spitzer’s so-called "Reproductive Rights Unit" had issued sweeping subpoenas demanding the centers produce a wide range of documents and alleging such offenses as false advertising and the unauthorized practice of medicine. The Christian Legal Society and others challenged the subpoenas, saying Spitzer’s actions were politically motivated and based upon a campaign by a pro-abortion organization against the centers.

The Society’s chief litigation counsel, Nathan Adams, says he hopes the outcome of this case sends a clear message nationwide that pregnancy resource centers will not allow their First Amendment rights to be trampled.

© 2002 AgapePress all rights reserved.

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