Supreme Court intercedes in dispute between pro-life clinic and NJ prosecutor's office

The Supreme Court has agreed to review First Choice Women’s Resource Centers v. Platkin. As a result, the nation’s highest court will now serve as referee in the escalating dispute between the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office and the pro-life clinic First Choice Women’s Resource Centers.

The case began when State Attorney General Matt Platkin demanded that the Catholic, anti-abortion organization hand over a range of internal information, including the names of its doctors and donors. Platkin said the data was necessary as part of an investigation into whether First Choice had misled the public into believing it provides abortion services.

Both the attorney general and the organization filed lawsuits in lower courts, with the latter ultimately bringing its case to the Supreme Court.

"New Jersey’s attorney general is targeting First Choice—a ministry that provides parenting classes, free ultrasounds, baby clothes, and more to its community—simply because of its pro-life views," stated Erin Hawley, senior counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a law firm representing the defendant center.

ADF argues that the First Amendment protects both donor anonymity and freedom of speech—constitutional rights they claim are being violated by Platkin.

"First Choice is looking for a special exception from the usual procedural rules as it tries to avoid complying with an entirely lawful state subpoena, something the U.S. Constitution does not permit it to do," Platkin said. 

He also stated that the organization “has for years refused to answer questions about its operations in New Jersey and the potential misrepresentations it has made, including those related to reproductive healthcare.” He emphasized that the Supreme Court will not rule on the validity of his initial subpoena, but rather on whether First Choice filed its lawsuit prematurely.

The Prosecutor’s Office maintains that the organization rushed to the courts before even allowing the investigation to begin.

With the Supreme Court's decision on Monday, the case is set to gain national significance. The ruling will likely have far-reaching implications across the country.