Case Background
The Use of Antiracketeering Law Against Abortion Protesters
The National Organization for Women (NOW) and two health care centers alleged that antiabortion protesters had engaged in "a nationwide conspiracy to shut down abortion clinics through a pattern of racketeering activity including extortion in violation of the Hobbs Act." — NOW, et al. v. Scheidler, et al. (1994). The Defendants sought unsuccessfully to have the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) suit dismissed for want of a commercial motive on the part of the Defendants. Following a subsequent trial, the jury concluded that the Defendants had committed numerous State and Federal offenses, including 21 violations of the Hobbs…
