US judge dismisses DOJ lawsuit that used abortion clinic access law against protesters
Judge Katharine Hayden said the Justice Department had not shown a true threat and gave prosecutors 30 days to seek an amended complaint.
- On Friday, District Judge Katharine Hayden dismissed a Trump Justice Department lawsuit accusing pro-Palestinian demonstrators of violating the 1994 FACE Act during a New Jersey protest.
- The DOJ lawsuit stemmed from a November 2024 protest at Congregation Ohr Torah, where demonstrators opposed a real estate fair selling land in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza.
- Judge Hayden ruled the government's complaint failed to adequately plead violations, writing that a "threat of force" must be a "serious expression" of intent to commit violence.
- The Justice Department has 30 days to file an amended complaint, while defense lawyer Emma Vasta-Kuby said the DOJ cannot use this law to "intimidate and to silence people on Palestine."
- While the FACE Act was created in 1994 to protect reproductive health clinics, Harmeet Dhillon of the Civil Rights Division noted this case was the first time officials used the law for religious worship interference.
6 Articles
6 Articles
US judge dismisses DOJ lawsuit that used abortion clinic access law against protesters
A US judge dismissed a lawsuit against pro-Palestinian organizations and protesters that President Donald Trump's administration brought last year under a law traditionally used against people blocking access to abortion clinics.
Trump DOJ lawsuit using abortion-access law vs. pro-Palestinian activists is tossed
A New Jersey federal judge found the DOJ’s legal logic — hinging on a law created to protect abortion providers — sought to “demonize” protesters exercising their First Amendment rights.
Washington: An American judge dismissed a lawsuit filed last year by President Donald Trump's administration against pro-Palestinian organizations and protesters under a law commonly used against those who deny access to abortion clinics. Federal Judge Catherine Hayden of New Jersey stated that the Government's complaint did not sufficiently establish violations of the law.
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