SCOTUS removes Roe V Wade

[Jastall]

I remember a bunch of "totally honest and earnest" posters reiterating that it was just going to be a state issue; the GQP just wanted it state based, it was never about control of women or wanting federal overreach.

Oh dear, if they had any personality or scruples they'd be wallowing in shame right now.

Same way they definitely voiced their dismay at Trump attempting to withhold federal funding for California's fires on condition of them changing their State's elecoral laws.

Ah wait, only a bunch of crickets answered that one. It is quite strange how States only seem to have rights whenever the Democrats seemingly threaten them.

[Edge-]

https://www.npr.org/2025/03/09/g-s1-...ss-enforcement

One morning in late August 2021, Phebe Brandt was attending to patients at a Planned Parenthood facility in Philadelphia, where she works as a nurse practitioner, when someone at the front desk told her a man had barricaded himself in one of the bathrooms.

Just a few minutes later, everyone was ordered to evacuate the building.

"At that very moment, we really didn't know what was going on," Brandt said. "We didn't know if he was armed. We didn't know if he had a bomb on him. It was very scary just because we didn't know what was happening."

The man holed up in the bathroom was Matthew Connolly, an anti-abortion rights activist from Minnesota. He wasn't armed, but court papers say he refused to leave even after the police arrived. Eventually, a SWAT team broke down the door and removed him from the premises.

Connolly's actions forced the clinic to shut down for the day. Patients who were mid-visit were sent home; those with appointments later in the day were told not to come in.

Federal prosecutors filed a lawsuit against Connolly under the FACE Act, or the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act. The law prohibits threat of force, obstruction and property damage meant to interfere with reproductive health care services, including abortion. The federal government's civil case sought to impose financial penalties on Connolly and deter future disruptive actions by him at abortion clinics.

The lawsuit was one of several the Justice Department brought during the Biden administration as it sought to protect access to reproductive health care.

In the past six weeks, the Trump administration has moved to undo all of that.

The Justice Department's new leaders say past enforcement of the FACE Act is "the prototypical example" of what they say is the weaponization of law enforcement against conservatives.

Instead, the Justice Department now says it will no longer enforce violations of the statute, except in extraordinary circumstances — such as cases involving death or serious property damage.

The department also has dropped three pending FACE Act cases, including the one against Connolly. President Trump, meanwhile, pardoned 23 people convicted under the FACE Act.

The attacks on access to reproductive health care are beginning.

Starting with the government trying to drop cases on criminals who unlawfully intimidate or otherwise interrupt the operation of reproductive health care facilities and potentially cause harm to their patients.

Republicans continue to hate women and continue to chip away at protections and access to crucial reproductive health care.

Abortion-rights advocates and providers, including Brandt, think these moves give a green light to anyone who wants to disrupt abortion centers in the future.

"It basically tells them that there will be no consequences for them to come into our centers, disrupt things, and potentially even be violent," she said. "I absolutely think we're going to see more of that going forward. I think this is going to put our safety at risk."

The message is clear: Harassment of folks seeking reproductive care or providing that care is now lawful in Donald's America.

[Flarelaine]

https://www.npr.org/2025/03/09/g-s1-...ss-enforcement

The attacks on access to reproductive health care are beginning.

Starting with the government trying to drop cases on criminals who unlawfully intimidate or otherwise interrupt the operation of reproductive health care facilities and potentially cause harm to their patients.

Republicans continue to hate women and continue to chip away at protections and access to crucial reproductive health care.

The message is clear: Harassment of folks seeking reproductive care or providing that care is now lawful in Donald's America.

What I hear is...

One morning in late August 2021

...

The department also has dropped three pending FACE Act cases, including the one against Connolly.

... that Garland's DoJ was not able to get through the case in 3 years.

[Trifle]

From what I'm reading, I'm getting that prosecutors like to win cases to further their careers, and FACE act cases seem to be a bit on the iffy side since Roe vs Wade was repealed.