Supreme Court Declines to Revisit Abortion Clinic Buffer Zone Laws

Justice Clarence Thomas dissents, calling for the overturn of a 2000 precedent restricting protests near clinics.

The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear two cases challenging laws that restrict anti-abortion protests near abortion clinics.
Justice Clarence Thomas issued a dissent, arguing that the court should have overturned the 2000 Hill v. Colorado decision, which upheld such restrictions.
Thomas criticized the Hill ruling for undermining First Amendment protections and creating an 'abortion exceptionalism' in free speech cases.
The declined cases involved buffer zone ordinances in Carbondale, Illinois, and Englewood, New Jersey, which limited protest activities near clinic entrances.
Thomas argued that the Dobbs v. Jackson decision in 2022, which overturned Roe v. Wade, weakened the legal foundation of Hill v. Colorado.