Appeals court: Kansas abortion opponent must stand trial

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Appeals court: Kansas abortion opponent must stand trial
Roxana Hegeman, Associated Press
Updated 1:38 am, Wednesday, July 29, 2015

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas abortion opponent must stand trial over a letter she sent to a Wichita doctor saying someone might place an explosive under the doctor's car, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday.

The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned late Tuesday a lower court's summary decision that anti-abortion activist Angel Dillard's letter was constitutionally protected speech. The ruling comes in a civil lawsuit brought against Dillard by the Justice Department under a federal law aimed at protecting access to abortion services. A split three-judge appeals panel said the decision about whether the letter constituted a "true threat" should be left for a jury to decide.

The appeals court also rejected Dillard's argument that the government violated her free speech rights by suing her.

Emails were sent late Tuesday night to Dillard's attorney and a Justice Department spokesman seeking comment.





Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/us/article/Appeals-court-Kansas-abortion-opponent-must-6411488.php

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Angel Dillard[/center]

[Ilsa]

1. If your "free speech" is a threat,

there are consequences for attempting to intimidate someone. I hope they get a rational jury.

[davidpdx]

2. Good, let her have her day in court

Hopefully the jury finds that she was threatening and harassing the doctor.

I don't talk about this often, but one of my elementary school teachers volunteered at a clinic and was shot by some idiotic anti-abortion nutjob. The teacher was a very kind person and had a family. I have no sympathy for someone who even threatens a clinic because all they are interested in doing is using force to coerce women into behaving they way they want.

[fasttense]

3. Boy she certainly looks smug for a terrorist

To think threatening to blow up someone is political speech. If it turns out she can threatened to blow up people as political speech then there are going to be a whole lot of people and politicians recieving threats like that.

[Hoppy]

5. If you knew Jesus was on your side, you could look that way too.

[Myrina]

7. Silly! Threats against "librul baby killer marxists" are Free Speech.

However, any kind of criticism against the Religious Right / Tealiban / GOP is terra and oppression.

[Hoppy]

4. Carlin: "Why WHy WHY is it that those people who are against abortion,

are people you wouldn't want to fuck in the first place?"


Good for her sorry ass. At least she has a legal bill to pay.

[Gothmog]

6. The abortion protesters are nuts and are dangerous