Supreme Court agrees to hear appeal from New Jersey faith-based pregnancy center

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to consider an appeal from First Choice Women’s Resource Centers, which wants to block a 2023 subpoena from Democratic New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin seeking information about the crisis pregnancy center's donors, advertisements, and medical personnel. It has not yet been enforced.

Attorneys for First Choice Women’s Resource Centers had described the organization as a “faith-based, pro-life pregnancy center.” Crisis pregnancy centers generally try to steer women facing an unwanted pregnancy away from choosing an abortion.

The group challenged the subpoena in federal court, but a judge found that the case wasn’t yet far enough along to weigh in. An appeals court agreed.

First Choice Women’s Resource Centers appealed to the Supreme Court, saying the push for donor information had chilled its First Amendment rights.

The subpoena is part of the state's investigation into allegations that the group may have misled women by implying abortion services were available, according to media reports.

Meanwhile, Platkin has sought to enforce the subpoena in state court, but the judge there has so far refused the state’s push to require the group to turn over documents and told the two sides to negotiate instead.

“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,” Platkin said Monday. “No industry is entitled to that type of special treatment — period.”

First Choice argued that attorneys general on both sides of the political aisle have been accused of misusing investigative authority, and defendants must be able to challenge their demands in federal court.

The pregnancy center is represented by the group Alliance Defending Freedom.

“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,” attorney Erin Hawley said. "We are looking forward to presenting our case to the Supreme Court."

The court will hear arguments in the case in the fall.