Supreme Court to consider New Jersey pregnancy center’s petition against attorney general ‘investigation’

CV NEWS FEED // The Supreme Court on April 4 will consider a New Jersey pregnancy resource center’s petition to stop the state attorney general’s invasive investigations.

 New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin demanded that First Choice Women’s Resource Centers reveal confidential documents and the identities of donors behind nearly 5,000 donations, the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) reports.

ADF explains that the First Amendment protects from disclosure without justification.

“New Jersey’s attorney general is targeting First Choice Women’s Resource Centers—a ministry that provides free ultrasounds, baby clothes, and more to its community—simply because of its pro-life views,” said ADF Senior Counsel Erin Hawley, vice president of the ADF Center for Life and Regulatory Practice. “The U.S. Constitution protects First Choice and its donors from unjustified demands for their identities and First Choice is entitled to vindicate those rights in federal court.”

First Choice responded to Platkin’s demands by filing a federal lawsuit, but Platkin then filed a state lawsuit, leading lower federal courts to state that First Choices must first pursue its federal claims in the state court. 

In January, ADF filed a petition with the Supreme Court asking for a review of the case. It also requested that the Court hold that civil rights plaintiffs are not obliged to litigate the challenges to an investigation on a state level before the federal level, as the challenge is constitutional.

As CatholicVote previously reported, First Choice provides free services including ultrasounds, baby supplies, and parenting classes.