The New Jersey Attorney General has requested an investigation into a small nonprofit organization that provides abortion reversal treatment drugs to women who have taken abortion pills. The organization, First Choice Women’s Resource Centers, is facing a lawsuit over this issue, which has now reached the Supreme Court. The case is set for oral arguments at the Supreme Court next Tuesday, December 2.
On December 2, the United States Supreme Court will hold oral arguments to discuss whether the Christian pregnancy assistance center, First Choice Women’s Resource Centers, can defend against the investigation initiated by New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin.
In November 2023, Platkin issued a subpoena to First Choice, demanding ten years’ worth of documents, including information on their promotion of “abortion pill reversal,” materials provided to clients and donors, employee records, and copies of all advertising published by the center. The reason cited was to investigate whether First Choice provided clients with deceptive information.
First Choice challenged the subpoena in federal court under Title 42 of the United States Code, Section 1983. Section 1983 is a significant provision in U.S. federal law that allows individuals to sue government officials or state entities in federal court for violating rights protected by the Constitution or federal law. It is known as a “civil rights remedy” dating back to the Reconstruction era in the United States (1865-1877).
Regarding the Supreme Court’s decision to hear First Choice’s lawsuit, New Jersey Attorney General Platkin argued that his subpoena was legal and accused the center of concealing its operational information. Platkin then filed a lawsuit in state court to enforce the subpoena. The state court granted the Attorney General’s motion to compel compliance with the subpoena but did not rule on First Choice’s federal constitutional challenge. Subsequently, the Attorney General filed a motion for sanctions against First Choice in state court.
Aimee Huber, the Executive Director of First Choice, believes the Attorney General is “abusing the investigation.” According to a report by the Catholic News Agency, Huber stated at a press conference on November 20, “We are a small nonprofit organization, and the sheer volume of documents we are being asked to collect is daunting. Pregnancy centers like ours do not perform abortions, making us a target of government attacks due to our dissenting views.”
Huber further expressed, “We never expected to be embroiled in this legal dispute, but it is worth it for the women and families we serve.”
First Choice is a Christian medical nonprofit organization that does not accept any government funding and relies entirely on donor support. Donors often prefer to remain anonymous or discreet, as supporting pregnancy resource centers can often lead to stigmatization. According to their mission statement, “We do not derive any financial benefit from any client’s decision and do not charge clients for services.”
First Choice operates centers in the five largest cities in New Jersey, including New Brunswick, Newark, Morristown, Montclair, and Jersey City. Their services include free pregnancy tests, ultrasound examinations, and parenting counseling. They also offer parenting programs, providing essential items like baby clothes and diapers. Since 1985, they have helped over 36,000 women.
(Certain parts of this article were referenced from Daily Wire)