During this new session of the U.S. Supreme Court, the justices will hear two key cases involving sodomy and the punishment of pro-lifers under a statute designed to be used against mobsters.
The sodomy law challenge comes from the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, a radical homosexual group that lobbies for the abolishment of laws against sodomy. The court will review the Texas prosecution of two men charged with engaging in homosexual conduct. The two men were fined $200 after pleading no contest to the misdemeanor charges.
Nine states ban consensual sodomy for everyone: Alabama, Florida, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Utah, and Virginia. Texas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma only punish homosexual sodomy.
TVC is joining in filing an amicus brief in support of the Texas sodomy statute with the U.S. Justice Foundation and the Pro-Family Law Center. For more details, go to: http://www.abidingtruth.com/pflc/mission.html and to the U.S. Justice Foundation web site: http://forum.usjf.net/index.php
The U.S. Supreme Court will also hear arguments over whether or not pro-life demonstrators can be sued under federal anti-racketeering laws. The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) has been used in the past against pro-life demonstrators. This case involves pro-lifer Joseph Scheidler versus the National Organization for Women. Scheidler was found guilty under RICO in 1998 but has appealed his case to the Supreme Court.
According to Scheidler, this case involves “a fundamental question of the freedom of speech and assembly guaranteed by the Constitution.” He continues: “Our country was founded on the right to protest injustice. There is no greater injustice than depriving unborn children of their right to life. I am counting on the Supreme Court to uphold our right to protest and to put an end to the use of RICO to silence protesters.”
For a more detailed history of this case, go to: http://www.prolifeaction.org/history_of_now_v.htm