Abortion Protesters Face Trial for Blocking D.C. Clinic Access

The US Supreme Court’s June 2022 decision that there’s no federal constitutional right to abortion doesn’t preclude anti-abortion protesters’ prosecution for obstructing access to a reproductive health-care facility, a federal judge said.

The Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act remains in effect despite Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, of the US District Court for the District of Columbia, said Tuesday. She denied the protesters’ motion to dismiss their indictments for lack of jurisdiction.

Kollar-Kotelly rejected the protesters’ selective prosecution and free speech claims July 22, but reserved ruling on whether Dobbs did away ...