Sacramento, CA — Among a sea of new laws that take effect with the new year is one that makes it a crime to “harass or intimidate anyone going to or working at a medical clinic that performs abortions.”
The new law, known as SB780, comes as a welcome gift to officials at the Family Medical Center in West Covina. The abortion facility had almost a decade-long history of scuffles with picketing pro-life advocates at its previous location in El Monte before it moved to a more secure office building in West Covina.
“It's a wonderful law, if they'll enforce it,” said Mauricio D'Tejada, a spokesman for the Family Planning Medical Center.
The new law, signed by the governor in October, seeks to change that. It makes it a misdemeanor to verbally or physically intimidate, injure or obstruct anyone coming in or out of such clinics.
Even those charged with first-time, nonviolent misdemeanors face punishment of up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $2,000 — often twice as much as other misdemeanor fines. The fine goes up to $5,000 for the second offense. Committing a violent crime will land a person up to one year in county jail and between $25,000 and $50,000 in fines, depending on whether it is a first or second offense, according to the bill.
Although the law seemingly makes obvious inappropriate behavior illegal, pro-life advocates point out that it unfairly targets them and threatens them with fines and penalties that do not apply to people inside the abortion facilities.
“They have set up in this law a profiling system of anti-abortion activists that includes different penalties … that don't apply to others,” said Jan Carroll, legislative analyst for the California Pro-Life Council. “We vigorously opposed this and feel it is a violation of the Equal Protection Amendment and the First Amendment rights [pro-life] people.”
El Monte police officials disagree that they were apathetic in their handling of the El Monte protesters and say they appreciate the new teeth placed in this latest law.
“If someone has a legitimate business, they have the right to run it without interference from other people,” said El Monte police Chief Ken Weldon. “In that regard, I think it's a good law.”
For more information on the new law, contact: California Pro-Life Council, 2306 J Street, Suite 200, Sacramento, CA 95816, (916) 442-8315.
(This article courtesy of Steven Ertelt and the Pro-Life Infonet email newsletter. For more information or to subscribe go to www.prolifeinfo.org or email infonet@prolifeinfo.org.)