Schenck v. Pro-Choice Network of Western New York
Case Date: 05/07/1997
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Schenck v. Pro-Choice Network of Western New York, 519 U.S. 357 (1997), was a case heard before the United States Supreme Court. It ruled in an 8-1 decision that speech-free "buffer zones" around abortion clinics were constitutional. The Court held that "fixed buffer zones" were constitutional, but "floating buffer zones" were not.
Paul Schenck challenged a Federal District Court injunction that restricted "sidewalk counselors" from approaching abortion clinic patients and others with Bibles, tracts and pro-life messages. The Court ruled in Schenck's favor, striking down the restrictions as a fundamental violation of the First Amendment right of Freedom of Speech.
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